for the good of those people who remain, a sacrifice offered in connection with the

for the good of those people who remain, a sacrifice offered in connection with the

GENESIS 6:8 14

man, and beast, and creeping things, and the birds of the air, for I regret having made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

cubit from the top. And you shall put the door of the ark in its side. You shall make the ark with lower, second, and third decks. 17 And, look, I, even I, am going to bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh which has the breath of life. Everything that is on the earth will die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you. And you shall come into the ark, you, and with you, your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives. 9 And you shall bring into the ark two of each kind of every living thing of all flesh, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Two of each kind shall come to you, of birds according to their kind, and of cattle according to their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth according to its kind, two of every kind shall come to you, to keep them alive. 21 And you shall gather for yourself some of every food that is eaten, and take it with you, and it will be for food for you and for them.”

9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man and blameless in his time, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt in the eyes of God and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked at the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come in my presence, for the earth is filled with violence through them, and, look, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ark, and shall cover it inside and outside with pitch. 15 And this is the way you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a window in the ark, and shall finish it to a

22 Noah did this. He did according to all that God commanded him.

justice, and spare the guilty and unrepentant (Ex 34:6,7; Deut 7:9,10; Rom 2:4,5). God is also the holy and just Judge and Ruler of the universe – 18:25; 1 Sam 2:10; Ps 47:2 (see the note there); 75:7; 94:2; 96:13; Ezek 7:3; Acts 17:31; 2 Tim 4:1; Rev 19:11. In Noah’s time only one godly man was left on the whole earth. Sin had reached such proportions that, for the good of the world, the God of justice had to punish it and destroy a perverted, rebellious, unbelieving and unrepentant generation of men.

Compare Ps 53:2,3. 6:13 Isa 24:1-6; 34:1-4; 1 Pet 4:7. 6:14 “Gopher” – it is unclear what kind of tree is meant by the Hebrew word here.

“Pitch” – we do not know exactly what substance this was. 6:15 One cubit equals 18 inches. 6:16 “A cubit from the top” – it seems there were a series of openings all around the ark near the roof to let in light and air. 6:17 2 Pet 2:5. 6:18 In this verse the first use in the Bible of the word “covenant” occurs. It is a very important word, used nearly 300 times. The Hebrew word means an agreement between two or more parties (21:27; 26:28; 2 Sam 3:12,13), or a promise given by one party to another (Gen 9:8-11). Sometimes there were conditions laid down, sometimes not. There was often some sign given and a sacrifice offered in connection with the establishment of a covenant.

After this time also God handed nations and whole civilizations over to destruction because of their sins. See notes on 15:16; Lev 18:24; Deut 13:12-18; 28:18-19. But when He did so He felt pain and grief. See Luke 19:41 and the notes at Jer 48:3039. When God acts in judgment it is always for the good of those people who remain, the eventual good of humanity as a whole. And even in times of judgment any individual who looks to God for mercy will find it (Isa 55:6,7). See notes at 15:16 and Psalm 47:2. The Lord Jesus said that the condition of mankind at the end of this age will be as it was in Noah’s day (Matt 24:37,38). 6:8 1 Pet 3:20. 6:9 See 5:24; Ps 37:37-40. Noah was both a righteous man and a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet 2:5). He preached God’s truth to that generation.

God made very important covenants with men on several occasions –

with Noah and all mankind (9:8-17); with Abraham and his descendants (15:18-21);

with the nation Israel (Ex 19:5); with David and his offspring (2 Sam 7:16); and the New Covenant (Matt 26:27-29). See notes at the above places. The first part of the Bible is called the Old Testament (or Covenant) because it has to do for the most part with God’s covenant made with Israel at Sinai (Ex 19:5). The second part of the Bible is called the New Testament (or Covenant) because it has to do with the covenant Christ made with His disciples just before His crucifixion. 6:22 Noah did what God told him because he believed God – Heb 11:7. True faith always produces obedience and action (Jam 2:14,20,26). By this Noah was able to save his family too.

“Blameless” – see the notes at 17:1; Job 1:1. 6:11 Luke 17:26; Deut 31:29; Rom 3:15-18. “In the eyes of” – the literal meaning of the Hebrew is “to (or in) the face”, and means “in the presence of” or “before God” or “in front of.” “In the eyes of” seems best to express the meaning here. 6:12 Even the godly line of Seth (4:26) was now completely corrupted except for Noah.

15 GENESIS 8:1 7

And the LORD said to Noah, “You, and all your household, come into the ark. For I have seen you as righteous in my eyes in this generation. 2 You shall take for yourself seven of every clean beast, the male and its female, and two of beasts that are unclean, the male and its female, 3 also seven each of the birds of the air, the male and the female, to keep offspring alive on the surface of the whole earth. 4 For in seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the surface of the earth every living substance that I have made.”

into the ark, 14 they, and every beast according to its kind, and all the cattle according to their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two of all flesh which had the breath of life. 16 And those that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

17 And the flood keep coming on the earth for forty days, and the waters increased, and lifted up the ark, and it rose up above the earth. 18 And the waters were powerful and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark went on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters grew exceedingly powerful on the earth, and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 20 The waters powerfully rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered.

5 And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him.

6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was on the earth. 7 And Noah went into the ark, and with him, his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives, because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean beasts and of unclean beasts and of birds and of every creeping thing on the earth, 9 two by two, the male and the female, went in to Noah into the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And it came about after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.

21 And all flesh that moved on the earth, both of fowl and of cattle and of beast and of every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man, died. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was on the dry land, died. 23 And every living thing which was on the face of the earth was destroyed, both man and cattle and creeping things and the birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth, and only Noah, and those who were with him in the ark, remained alive.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, that very day, all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.

24 And the waters remained powerful on the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

13 On that very day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, went

And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in

rose and covered the mountains to a depth of fifteen cubits” (nearly 7 meters). 7:24 From the language of verses 19-24 it seems clear that the flood was worldwide. This is indicated by the height of the waters (see 8:4), the extent of the destruction (see 9:15), and the length of time the flood waters remained on earth (8:13,14). These things could be said of no local flood. See also 2 Pet 3:3-7. We cannot set a date for the flood, nor is it necessary that we do so (see note on 5:5-32). The date is not important. The important thing is the spiritual lessons we can learn from that event. These are: Sin will bring God’s judgment; God is grieved when He must judge and condemn men to destruction, but will do so for the sake of His justice, and for the good of those who remain. He will save those who trust in Him. The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who saves His believing people from God’s wrath against sin. 8:1 “God remembered” – compare 19:29; 30:22; Ex 2:24; 1 Sam 1:19; Ps 105:42; Isa 49:15,16; Heb 6:10. The Hebrew word translated “remember” includes the idea of showing loving concern for someone.

7:2 On “unclean animals” see Lev 11:1-31; Deut 14:3-20; Acts 10:9-16; 1 Tim 4:3,4. 7:11 The waters of the flood came from two sources – water underneath the ocean bed which was released, and torrential rains from above. Before the flood there may have been huge quantities of water trapped under pressure beneath the ocean floor. Whatever was there now burst out and, together with the large amount of rain falling from the sky, greatly raised the level of the water in the oceans, and covered the hills and mountains. 7:16 God shut the door, not to keep Noah from getting out, but to keep anyone else from getting in. God’s judgment was to be complete on a very wicked generation. The day of opportunity to be saved was over. Justice now triumphed over wickedness. Compare Prov 1:24-33; 29:1; Isa 55:6,7; 2 Cor 6:2. 7:19 “Mountains” – not “hills” (as in the KJV). In Hebrew the word is the same as the word translated “mountains” in the next verse. The word means “mountains” and “hills,” but in the context “mountains” seems the better translation. 7:20 “Cubits” – or “The waters powerfully

GENESIS 8:2 16

the ark, and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 Also the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed, and the rain from heaven was stopped, 3 and the waters steadily receded from the earth. And at the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. 4 And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.

13 And it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked out, and now the surface of the earth was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the twentyseventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

15 And God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you, all flesh, both of birds, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful, and increase in number on the earth.”

6 And it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 And he sent out a raven, which flew here and there until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out a dove from him, to see if the waters had receded from the surface of the earth; 9 but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and so she returned to him in the ark, for the waters still covered the surface of the whole earth. Then he put out his hand, and took her, and brought her in to him in the ark. 10 And he waited still another seven days, and then again he sent out the dove from the ark. 11 And the dove came to him in the evening, and there in her mouth was a plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 And he waited still another seven days, and sent out the dove. She did not return again to him any more.

18 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went out. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, and whatever crawls on the earth, according to their kinds, went out of the ark.

20 And Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma, and the LORD said in his heart, “Never again will I curse the ground on man’s account. For the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy every living thing, as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”

8:2 Ararat is a group of mountain peaks in northeastern Turkey. The highest peak is nearly 4,300 meters high. 8:3 “Waters steadily receded” – an immense amount of water was required to produce the kind of flood described in chapter 7. As the water receded where did it go? Verse 2 says that the fountains of the deep were “closed.” This means that they no longer gave out water. It would seem that great quantities of water had been stored in huge caverns under the ocean beds of the earth. This was released at the time of the flood, greatly increasing the amount of water in the oceans. Then God closed the fountains so that they no longer gave out water. But the caverns were still there and it seems likely that the flood waters slowly drained back into them. 8:13,14 The flood began in Noah’s 600th year, 2nd month, 17th day (7:11). The waters were completely dried up in his 601st year, 2nd month, 27th day. The total time was one year and eleven days, according to the method they used for determining a year. (The Hebrews determined their days and years by the movement of the moon. The total time according to the system we use now, based on the movements of earth and sun, was exactly a year). The flood was at its full power for 150 days (7:24). This shows

that the flood was worldwide and not merely over the area where Noah was. No local flood would be at its height for so long, or rise so high, or take so long to recede. 8:20 “Altar” – 12:7,8; 13:18; 22:9. This is the first mention of an altar (the word is used more than 400 times in the Bible), or of a burnt offering. Note on burnt offering at Lev 1:1-7. Worship of the true God springs up in the hearts of those to whom He reveals Himself. 8:21 “Soothing aroma” – the worship of believing, obedient hearts is pleasing to God. In the Old Testament their sacrifices were like a pleasing aroma also because they spoke of Christ. Note at Lev 1:9. The word translated “soothing” is from a Hebrew word meaning (among other things) “to give rest to, to quieten.” Possibly the word indicates that the “soothing aroma” of burnt offerings quietened God’s wrath against man’s sin (because it spoke of the then future sacrifice of Christ).

“Evil from his youth” – every child is born into the world with a sinful nature. So every inclination of his heart will be away from God’s holy standards. His thoughts and desires will be self-centered, not God-centered. It will be necessary to teach him to do right – the wrong he will do by nature (4:7; 5:3; Ps 51:5; 58:3; Rom 3:9-23; 7:18).

17 GENESIS 9:26 9

And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you will be on every beast of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on all that moves on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hands. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. I have given you everything, just as I gave the green plants.

and it will be for a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it will come about when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will appear in the cloud, 15 and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of every kind of flesh. And the waters will not again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow will be in the cloud, and I will look at it, so that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind of flesh on the earth.”

4 “But flesh with its life, which is its blood, you shall not eat. 5 And I will certainly require punishment for your lifeblood. I will require it at the hand of every beast, and at the hand of man. I will require punishment for the life of a man at the hand of every man’s brother. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man will his blood be shed; for in the image of God he made man. 7 And you, be fruitful and increase in number. Bring forth abundantly on the earth and increase in it.”

17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh on the earth.”

18 And the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These were the three sons of Noah. And from them people spread over the whole earth.

20 And Noah was a man who tilled the soil, and he planted a vineyard, 21and drank of the wine and became drunk. And he was uncovered inside his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment and put it on both their shoulders and walked backwards and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were turned away and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

8 And God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “And, see, I am establishing my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I establish my covenant with you; never again will all flesh be cut down by the waters of a flood, and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and came to know what his younger son had done to him. 25 And he said, “Cursed be Canaan. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all succeeding generations: 13 I set my bow in the cloud,

26 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God

9:1 All peoples and nations on earth today are Noah’s descendants. 9:2-7 There are two changes now introduced which indicate a new order of things on earth. God now gives man permission to eat meat (compare 1:29), and commands capital punishment for murder (compare 4:15). Observe that at this time there was no distinction made between “clean” and “unclean” animals for food. Man could eat any that he chose. Compare Leviticus chapter 11. 9:4 Lev 7:26:27; 17:10-16; 19:26; Deut 12:16,23; 15:23; Acts 15:20,29. 9:5 Ex 21:12,28,29. 9:6 Lev 24:17; Num 35:33. Man, though terribly fallen, is still in some respects in the image of God (Jam 3:9). 9:9-11 Judging from v 10, this covenant with Noah is more like a simple promise, not an agreement. Certainly animals could not enter into an agreement with God. 9:12-17 This bow, called by many in India “Indra’s bow”, has nothing whatever to do with Indra. The rainbow is a sign of the true God’s faithfulness to His covenant. The rainbow is associated with God’s presence in Ezek 1:28 and Rev 4:3.

9:19 See 10:32. 9:21 The Bible does not conceal the faults and sins of God’s people. It tells things as they are. In this case it is uncertain whether Noah had ever drunk wine before or knew what it could do to him. When he realized it was affecting him he should have stopped drinking but this would probably have been very difficult (compare Prov 20:1; 23:2935). Drunkenness is condemned in the Bible and its results are shown to be disastrous (19:30; Isa 5:11,22; Rom 13:13; 1 Cor 5:11; 6:10; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:18). 9:22 Ham, instead of covering his father’s shame, told others about it. He did not show the proper love and respect for his father (Ex 20:12; 1 Pet 4:8). It seems that he had a perverted mind. 9:25-27 Three prophecies are here (compare 49:1; Deut 33:1). Concerning Ham (v 25) – as a son he had not shown the proper behavior, so judgment would come on one of his sons. Perhaps Canaan was with his father when the above event occurred. We do not know. But we do know that God always acts in perfect justice. This prediction was at least partially fulfilled when Israel

GENESIS 9:27 18

of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. 27 God will enlarge Japheth and he will live in the tents of Shem. And Canaan will be his servant.” 28 And Noah lived after the flood for three hundred and fifty years. 29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

begot Sidon his firstborn, Heth, 16 and the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgasite, 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. And afterwards the families of the Canaanites were scattered.

19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you come to Gerar, to Gaza; as you go to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, as far as Lasha.

Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood sons were born to them.

20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their countries, and in their nations.

2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coast lands of the Gentiles were divided in their lands, each one according to his language, according to their families, in their nations.

21 As for Shem, the father of all the children of Eber and the brother of Japheth the elder, to him also children were born.

22 The children of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23 And the children of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 And Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. 25 And two sons were born to Eber. The name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan. 26 And Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

6 And the sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

8 And Cush begot Nimrod. Nimrod became a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter in the eyes of the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Just like Nimrod the mighty hunter in the eyes of the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah. This is a great city.

30 And their location was from Mesha, as you go to Sephar, a hill in the east.

31 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, according to their nations.

32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations. And from among them, after the flood, the nations of the earth were divided.

13 And Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines), and Caphtorim. 15 And Canaan

subdued the Canaanites in the land of Canaan many centuries later (Josh 9:23; 1 Kings 9:20,21). Concerning Shem (v 26) – Jehovah was already the God of Shem. This suggests Shem’s faith. The God of Shem would bring His blessings into the world through Abraham, the nation Israel, and Jesus Christ all of whom were descendants of Shem.

seems there were two regions named Cush. One included a part of present-day Ethiopia, the other was in the neighborhood of present-day Iraq. Mizraim is another name for Egypt. 10:8 “Begot”– in Hebrew usage this word is sometimes used to mean “became the ancestor of” or “predecessor of.” Note on 5:6-32. 10:8-12 Nimrod had to do with some cities that became prominent in Bible times. Both Nineveh and Babylon were destroyed long ago. 10:14 The Philistines lived along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and come to prominence in the Biblical story during the times of the judges and early kings of Israel. 10:15-19 Some of these peoples occupied the land of Canaan before the nation of Israel dispossessed them (Ex 3:8,17; Josh 24:11). 10:21-31 Shem was the ancestor of Abraham, and of the nation of Israel. 10:21 Note on Eber at 11:15. 10:23 “Mash” – or “Meshech.” 10:25 Peleg means “divided.”

Concerning Japheth (v 27) – this may possibly speak of the coming of vast numbers of Gentiles into the Christian fold (Eph 3:6). “Live in the tents of” suggests entering into the blessings of Shem, and God brought salvation to the world through the descendants of Shem (11:10; John 4:22). 10:2-5 These are ancestors of peoples which settled in regions generally north, northwest, and northeast of Israel. Javan is presentday Greece.

“Sons” (verses 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 20-23, 29, 31) – in Hebrew usage the word “sons” sometimes means “descendants” or “successors” or “peoples.” See note on 5:6-32. 10:6-7 Ancestors of peoples which settled east, south, and southwest of Israel. It

19 GENESIS 11:26 11

And the whole earth had one language, and one speech. 2 And it came about that as they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.

begot sons and daughters.

12 And Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah. 13 And after he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

3 And they said to one another, “Come on, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” And they had brick instead of stone, and they had tar instead of mortar. 4 And they said, “Come on, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, the top of which will reach to heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves, so we won’t be scattered over the surface of the whole earth.”

14 And Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber. 15 And after he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begot Peleg. 17 And after he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.

5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 6 And the LORD said, “See, the people are one and they all have one language, and they have started to do this, and so now nothing that they have planned to do will be kept from them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language so that they cannot understand one another’s speech.”

18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.19 And after he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.

20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begot Serug. 21 And after he begot Serug Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

8 So the LORD scattered them from there over the whole surface of the earth. And they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth, and the LORD scattered them from there over the surface of the whole earth.

22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor. 23 And after he begot Nahor Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begot Terah. 25 And after he begot Terah, Nahor lived a hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 And after he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and

26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

11:1 We do not know what this one language was. 11:2 “Shinar” – this was the name of the region where the city of Babylon was built. It was located in what is now called Iraq. 11:3 “Come on” – this is closer to the Hebrew than “go to” (KJV), an expression common in England 400 years ago, but no longer in use. The Hebrew word usually means “come.” 11:4-9 The building of Babel was contrary to God’s instructions in 9:1. The language in v 4 indicates pride and self-glorification as the motive for the building of the city. Later in history Nebuchadnezzar built a very great and mighty city there which caused him to boast in his power (Dan 4:30). The name Babylon in Scripture is usually associated with man’s pride and defiance of God (Isa 47:8; Jer 50:24,29,32; Dan 4:30; 5:1-4; Rev 17:4-6; 18:7). Babylon was a center of idolatry and false religion and persecution of God’s people.

all such proud achievements of men and bring their pride into the dust (Lev 26:18,19; Prov 15:25; 16:18; Isa 2:17-22; 25:11; Jer 13:9; 49:16; Dan 4:37; Zeph 2:8-10; Jam 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5; Rev 18:7,8). 11:5 “Came down” – compare 18:21 (note). 11:6 In other words they would exalt themselves very highly against God and His purposes in the earth. 11:8 This was the very thing they did not want, but which God saw was good (v 4; 9:1). God will accomplish His purposes in spite of rebellious men. 11:9 Ps 92:9; Luke 1:51. Babel sounds like the Hebrew word for confused. Diversity of language came about because of man’s pride and disobedience. What a trouble the language problem has been through the centuries, and still is! 11:10 “Begot” (also vs 11-25) – see note at 10:8. Israel was descended from Shem. With the following genealogy the story of the people of Israel really begins. It continues through much of the rest of the Bible. Once again humanity is divided into two lines, and God chose the line of Shem as the one through whom He would teach the world great things. His purpose in this was to bring great blessing to all nations. 11:16 The word Hebrew may have come from the word Eber.

The name Babel may have two meanings. It probably means (as many have suggested) “the gate of God.” This is what the people who built it might have thought. Babel may also be derived from a Hebrew word meaning “to confuse.” What men boast of as a gateway to God is in God’s sight mere confusion. God will eventually destroy

GENESIS 11:27 20

27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot Lot. 28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

and I will bless you and make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you. And in you all families of the earth will be blessed.”

4 So Abram left, just as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he went out of Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went away to go to the land of Canaan. And into the land of Canaan they came.

31 And Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran his grandson, and Sarai his daughterin-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they left Ur of the Chaldees with them to go to the land of Canaan. And they came to Haran and lived there.

6 And Abram passed through the land as far as the place called Shechem, to the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

7 And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” And he built an altar there to the LORD, who appeared to him.

Now the LORD had said to Abram,“Go out of your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you, 2 and I will make of you a great nation,

8 And he moved from there to a mountain to the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east; and there

11:28 “Ur” – a large city in the land of Babylon. It was a center of moon worship and other idolatry (Josh 24:2). 11:31 “Haran” – a city in what is now called Syria. 12:1 The call of Abraham was a great new beginning in the Bible. It took place about 1900 years before Christ. From now until the book of Acts in the New Testament for the most part we have the story of Abraham and his descendants. He was the father of the Jewish people, and because of his great faith in God he is called the father of all who trust in God (Rom 4:11). He is called also the servant of God (26:24), a prophet (20:7), and the father of the nation Israel (Isa 51:2; Rom 4:1). But probably his greatest name is “the friend of God” (Is 41:8; Jam 2:23). It all began by simple faith and obedience to God’s call (Heb 11:8-10). 12:2 “Great nation”–see 17:4-8; 18:17,18; 22:17; 46:3; Ex 1:7; Deut 26:5. “Bless” – blessing may mean either material or spiritual blessing. Spiritual blessings, of course, are far more important than material (Matt 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-26). Material blessings are temporary, spiritual blessings are related to eternity (compare Eph 1:3; Matt 6:19-21). On blessing see notes at v 3; 24:35; Num 6:22-27; Deut 28:3-14; Ps 1:1,2; Matt 5:3; etc. Observe that Abraham not only received God’s blessing, he became a blessing to others. 12:3 “Bless” – 22:18,19-21; 26:4; 28:14; Acts 3:25,26; Gal 3:8,9. Faith in God and obedience to Him bring great blessing, not only to the individual who practices them but to many others.

blessing of salvation and eternal life. These blessings come through Abraham because Jesus Christ, according to His human nature, was a descendant of Abraham. Through Christ salvation has become available to all the peoples on earth, including all the various language groups of India. See Gal 3:8,9; John 4:22; Isa 2:3; Rom 9:4,5. The promised blessing of God was not just for one little nation, but for the whole world. Other notes on blessing or blessed at Num 6:22-27; Deut 28:3-14; Ps 1:1-3; 119:1; Matt 5:3-12; Luke 11:28; Acts 3:26; Eph 1:3. See in Gal 3:9,14 how God’s blessing can come on anyone.

“Curse” – to oppose and speak evil of the one chosen by God is the same as opposing and speaking evil of God who chose him. And it is to reject God’s purpose through him. Cursing such a person will bring a curse on those who do it. In some important respects God in perfect justice deals with people as they deal with others (Ps 18:25,26). 12:5 Canaan, or at least part of what was called Canaan, is present-day Israel. 12:6 “Canaanites” – see 10:15-19. 12:7 “Appeared” – God sometimes appeared on earth in the form of a man or an angel to speak with men and to work His will – 3:18; 16:7; 18:1-3; 26:2. God as Spirit is everywhere unseen and unheard by men. In dealing with men He thought it good at times to assume visible form.

“Land” – 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; Josh 1:2-4; 23:4,5; Ps 105:8-12. The land of Israel belongs to the Jews by God’s promise.

“Altar” – 8:20. 12:8 “Bethel” – the first mention of this important place in Old Testament history. It is mentioned more than any other town except Jerusalem. It was a few kilometers north of Jerusalem.

“All families of the earth” – the God of the Bible is the God who created the universe, the God who made all nations. He is love (1 John 4:8), and delights to bring blessing to all peoples, especially the

21 GENESIS 13:10

he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram traveled on, still going toward the south.

concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

10 And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a time, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 And it came about when he was approaching Egypt he said to Sarai his wife, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman to see. 12 Therefore it will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but will keep you alive. 13 So please say that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account, and my soul will live because of you.”

And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot went with him, into the south of Canaan. 2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. 3 And he went on his journeys from the south as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had first made there. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

5 And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And the land was not able to support them while they were living together, for their possessions were great, so that they could not live together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle, and the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then living in the land.

14 And it came about that when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh, and so the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And he treated Abram well on her account, and he got sheep, and oxen, and donkeys, and male and female servants, and female donkeys, and camels.

8 And Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between me and you and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right, then I will go to the left.”

17 And the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with great plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife? 19 Why did you say ‘She is my sister’? I was going to take her as a wife for myself. Now then, see your wife. Take her and go.” 20 And Pharaoh gave a command to his men

10 And Lot raised his eyes, and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, (this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and

“Name of the LORD” – 2:4; 4:26; 13:4. 12:9 “The south” – Hebrew has “Negev”, the name for the desert-like region in the south of Canaan. 12:10 It is not written that God told Abraham to leave Canaan. Perhaps the famine was meant as a test to strengthen his faith and build his character (Ps 66:10-12; Jam 1:24,12; 1 Pet 1:6,7). By going down to Egypt to escape the trial he got into difficulties and brought difficulties to others. 12:13 Abraham’s statement was a half-truth. Sarai was his half-sister (20:12). This marriage took place in Ur of Chaldea before God called Abraham. God later forbade marriage between such close relatives. Abraham meant to deceive the king of Egypt and this was sin. The Bible does not try to hide the sins and failures of God’s people. All have a sinful nature and all have sinned (Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:8,10). God could have protected Abraham without Abraham’s resorting to deception. See notes at 27:18-26; Josh 2:5; 1 Sam 27:10; 2 Sam 15:34. “Please” – though the KJV has “I pray thee”, that is hardly a literal translation of the Hebrew, which here is only two letters joined to the end of the verb “say.” In Hebrew these letters are often joined to a verb. This was probably only a polite way of speaking, so we have translated it “please.” The KJV translated the same letters in other

ways (for example “now” in Gen 18:27). Some versions omit it altogether, without changing the basic meaning. 12:15 “Pharaoh” – this was not a personal name but the title of successive rulers of Egypt. 12:17 Though the fault was Abraham’s, God did this to preserve the integrity of Abraham’s marriage and to fulfill later His purposes in Abraham and Sarai. Observe that God Himself may send diseases in judgment. See also Ex 15:26; 2 Kings 5:27; 15:5. This does not mean that all diseases are sent by God. Compare Job 2:7; etc. 12:18 See how one man’s sin can affect others. 13:1 “South” – literally, “Negev” – 12:9. 13:4 “Called on the name of the LORD” – 4:26; 12:8. 13:5 “Lot” – 12:5. 13:7 “Canaanite and Perizzite”–10:18; 15:20; 34:30. 13:8 “Strife” – Prov 15:8; 20:3; Matt 5:40; Rom 12:18; 1 Cor 6:7. Quarreling over land and property is senseless – Ps 49:1012; Luke 12:13-21. 13:9 The whole land was given to Abram, but he was willing to give the best portion to Lot in order to avoid strife. He is an example to us of unselfishness. See also 26:19-22. 13:10,11 Lot was greedy and selfish in this

GENESIS 13:11 22

Gomorrah), like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot traveled east. And so they separated themselves from one another. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the LORD, exceedingly so.

the Horites in their mount Seir as far as El Paran, which is near the wilderness. 7 And they returned and came to En Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and attacked the whole country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazezon Tamar.

8 And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (this is Zoar) went out and met them in battle in the vale of Siddim, that is, they met 9 Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings fighting with five. 10 And the vale of Siddim was full of tar pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there. And those who remained fled to the mountain. 11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way. 12 And they took Abram’s brother’s son Lot, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and left.

14 And after Lot had separated from him, the LORD said to Abram, “Raise your eyes and from the place where you are look northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for I will give all the land which you see to you and to your offspring forever. 16 And I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your offspring also will be numbered. 17 Get up, walk over the land, through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

13 And one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he lived among the oak trees of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner. These men were allies of Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen in number, and pursued them as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them, he and his servants, at night, and attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is to the north of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the goods, and brought back also his brother Lot and his goods, and also the women and the people.

18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and lived by the oak trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there built an altar to the LORD.

And this happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations: 2 these men made war on Bera king of Sodom, and on Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. 3 All these made an alliance together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. 4 For twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

17 And after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings who had been with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.

5 And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer, and the kings who were with him, came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 and

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of the Most

decision. He got what he wanted but it cost him dearly in the end, as can be seen in chapter 19. This choice brought Lot close to the wicked cities that God would later destroy (vs 12,13). God will surely punish greed and selfishness (Col 3:5,6; 1 Tim 6:6-10; Heb 13:5). See the way of happiness and blessing in the words of Jesus in Matt 10:38,39; Luke 14:33; etc. 13:13 “Against” – compare Ps 51:4. All sin is against God. 13:14-17 God repeated this promise of Canaan many times (12:7; 15:18; 17:8). Notice that the gift of Canaan was forever (v 15). 13:18 “Hebron”–a town about 35 kilometers south of Jerusalem. 14:1 “Shinar” – Babylonia (11:2). “Elam”–10:22. Elam was an area in what is now called Iran. 14:3 “Salt Sea”–the Dead Sea. Sodom and Gomorrah were on the plain near it.

14:7 “Kadesh” – Kadesh Barnea on the southern border of Canaan.

“Amalekites”–note at Ex 17:8. “Amorites”–10:16; 15:16. 14:12 At first Lot was only near Sodom (13:12). Now he was in it and so in great danger. 14:13 This is the first use of the word “Hebrew” in the Bible. See 11:16. 14:14 “Brother” – Lot was Abraham’s nephew, not his literal brother. The Hebrew word here translated brother has a wider range of meaning than the English word. It may indicate a variety of relationships. 14:14-16 In all this Abraham revealed great courage, faith in God and skill in military matters. He led 318 men against four kings and their combined armies and was able to rescue Lot and the plunder. Compare Gideon’s victory with 300 men in Judges chapter 7, and see 1 Sam 14:6. 14:18,19 “Melchizedek” – we know very little

23 GENESIS 15:6 15

High God. 19 And he blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, 20 and blessed be the Most High God who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward.”

2 And Abram said, “Lord God, what will you give me, while I go childless? And while the manager of my household is this Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “See, you have not given me any offspring, and, see, someone born in my house is my heir.”

21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.”

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 swearing that I will not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a shoelace, so that you would not say, ‘I have made Abram rich’, 24 except for that which the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their share.”

4 And now the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but the one who will come forth from your own body will be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And he said to him, “So will your offspring be.”

6 And he believed in the LORD, and He counted

of this person. He is mentioned only once more in the Old Testament (Ps 110:4). But he has great importance as a type and forerunner of Christ as High Priest, and he is discussed at some length in the letter to the Hebrews. See notes on Hebrews chapter 7. To Abraham he gave bread and wine. Compare Matt 26:26-29.

and heard God speaking to them revealing His word and will.

“Do not be afraid” – compare 21:17; 26:24; Ex 14:13; Isa 35:4; 41:10; 43:5; Matt 14:27; Heb 13:6.

“Shield” – Ps 3:3; 28:7; etc. God Himself was Abraham’s shield. Anyone who tried to injure Abraham had first to get through God. This is true of all God’s people. Compare Deut 33:29; Job 1:10,11; 2:6; Ps 115:9-11.

“Salem” – this almost certainly refers to Jerusalem (Ps 76:2). The word means peace and well-being.

“Reward” – God Himself was also Abraham’s reward – his great treasure. If our treasure is in God, is God, there is no danger of anyone breaking in and stealing it (Matt 6:19-21). And what a treasure this is! See Num 18:20; Deut 10:9; Ps 73:26; Eph 1:3; 2:7; 3:8; 1 Pet 1:4. 15:2 “Lord God” – the Hebrew words are Adonai Jehovah, and if both words were translated as in the rest of the KJV, would be “Lord LORD” (the word for God is not in the Hebrew here). The expression means Lord Jehovah. This name is used more than 400 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. Adonai means lord, master, ruler. Adonai is Lord of the whole earth (Josh 3:11). He is the Lord of lords (Deut 10:17). In Greek the word is Kurios, the title given to the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament. See note at Luke 2:11. Abraham is acknowledging Jehovah as his master, and the Lord of everything – one well able to give him a son. 15:3 If Abraham had no child all he could do was leave his property to someone else. Evidently he had been considering Eleazer for this. 15:4,5 God made this promise of an heir when Abraham’s wife Sarai was barren (11:30), and in any case past the age of childbearing (Heb 11:11). It was not humanly possible for them to have children. But God is able to make anything happen and human impossibilities are as nothing to Him (18:14; Jer 32:17,27; Luke 1:37). 15:6 This is one of the key verses of the Bible. It is repeated in three books of the New Testament (Rom 4:3,9,22; Gal 3:6;

“Priest” – note at Ex 28:1. “Most High God” – in Hebrew “El Elyon.” The name is used 35 times in the Hebrew Bible, mostly in Psalms (21 times). El Elyon is far above all others called God or Lord (Ps 97:9), transcendent over the universe. Heaven and earth are His possessions; that is, He is the eternal Creator. The first mention of this name is associated with a priest, thus suggesting that El Elyon can be approached only through sacrifice. 14:20 “Blessed be” – the Hebrew may also be translated “Praise be to.”

“Abram” – literally, “he.” “Tenth” – or “a tithe.” This is the first mention of a tithe in the Bible. Abraham gave to Melchizedek a tenth, thus showing how great Melchizedek was (Heb 7:4-7). That is, as God’s appointed priest he was in a higher position than Abraham. On “tithe” see 28:22; Lev 27:30; Num 18:21; Deut 12:6; 14:22; 2 Chron 31:5; Mal 3:8-12, 21-24. 14:22-24 Abraham solemnly refused to accept anything from the ungodly – the opposite of Balaam (2 Pet 2:15), and many in our own day who love money and possessions regardless of where they come from or how they might get them. 15:1 “Vision” – the first appearance of this word which is used in the Bible about 100 times. In Hebrew the word comes from a verb which means “to see” or “to gaze at.” God often revealed things to His prophets by means of visions. Sometimes they came in dreams, sometimes when the prophet was awake or in a trance-like state. They sometimes saw symbolic forms and shapes

GENESIS 15:7 24

it to him for righteousness.

away.

7 And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram, and suddenly a horror of great darkness fell on him. 13 And he said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve those people. And they will afflict them for four hundred years. 14 And also I will judge that nation whom they will serve. And afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 And you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they will come here again, for the wickedness of the Amorites is

8 And he said, “Lord God, how can I know that I will inherit it?”

9 And he said to him, “Bring to me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a dove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he took all these to him, and cut them in half and laid each piece opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them

Jam 2:23). God did not count Abraham righteous because of his piety or obedience to God’s call, but because of his faith. In himself Abraham was a sinner, as we all are. Men cannot change themselves into holy people, cannot create for themselves a righteous nature, cannot stand before God by their good works (Isa 64:6; Jer 13:23; Rom 3:10-12). But if we trust God and believe God’s promises, God counts our faith as righteousness (Rom 3:22; 5:1; 10:10; Phil 3:9; Heb 11:7). He puts on us His own perfect righteousness – Isa 61:10; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21. See also Gen 3:21. In this way God makes us fit for His presence, even as He did Abraham. 15:7 See 11:31; 12:1. 15:8 Abraham believed God would give him a son, but he longed for a sign from God to encourage his faith concerning Canaan. God did not rebuke him for that (see also Judges 6:17,36-40; 2 Kings 20:8-11; Isa 7:11,14; 37:30; Luke 1:18). 15:9 Lev 1:2,10,14-17; Num 19:2. 15:12 What follows came to Abraham in a dream. This is one way God revealed truth to people in Bible times. See 20:3; 28:12; 31:24; 37:5; 40:5. Notes at Num 12:6; Deut 13:1. 15:13 Ex 1:11,14; 2:23; Deut 5:15. 15:14 Ex 3:19-22; 6:6; 7:4; 9:13-16; 12:32-28. 15:15 See 25:7,8. “Go. . .in peace” – a way of indicating his death. 15:16 “Fourth generation”– v 13 says 400 years. People in Abraham’s day lived longer than they do now, so a generation then comprised more years than a generation now. Abraham lived to the age of 175, Isaac to 180, Jacob to 147, Joseph to 110.

the world there are only a small number of possible views which people can hold:

1. There is no God and all such things are a result of natural catastrophes or man’s inhumanity to man. This would be a common view of those who do not believe that the Bible is the Word of God.

2. There is a God but He has little or nothing to do with such events, but stands aside and does not hinder the forces of nature and lets men behave as they will.

3. There is a God who is the active sovereign ruler of the world, and He is the one who is responsible for the above things, and He is unjust in permitting these things to happen or causing them to happen. More people than we may estimate privately (and perhaps subconsciously) hold this view, though many of them would not want to state openly that God is unjust.

4. God is the ruler of the world but for reasons known only to Himself justly permits such things to happen without actively causing them; He allows men to do to one another more or less as they will.

5. God, as the sovereign ruler of the world, uses men and nations and nature to bring such things about and always works in absolute justice to accomplish His plan for the world.

Those of us who believe that God exists and know that such things have occurred in the world, and do occur, must reach our own conclusions about God’s relationship to them. But we should try to learn what He wants to teach us, and beware of charging God with any kind of indifference, weakness or injustice. Does not the Creator of men care what happens to them? Does not the One who made the universe have sufficient wisdom to know how to rule in the affairs of men? Is He not strong enough to prevent what He wants to prevent and bring about what He wishes to bring about? We would be foolish indeed to ignore what the Bible says about all this – the more so if we realize that both Jesus Christ and His apostles all upheld the divine inspiration and authority of the Bible.

“Amorites” – 10:15,16; 14:7. They were inhabitants of Canaan before Abraham arrived there. “Not yet full” – compare 6:3,5-7; Lev 18:24,25. God punishes evil people only when the time is ripe, and He waits patiently for them to repent and turn to Him if they will. If they do not, according to the Bible, He may send another people to destroy them.

In God’s Word, the Bible, we see that God Himself sent the flood which destroyed almost the entire human race. We see that He Himself sent the angel of death into Egypt in Moses’ day to destroy all the

Note on God and human calamities Concerning destructive wars, genocides, or natural disasters which have occurred in

25 GENESIS 16:10

not yet full.”

husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

17 And it came about that when the sun went down and it was dark, there appeared a smoking furnace and a flaming torch that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of 19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

5 And Sarai said to Abram, “The wrong I suffer be on you. I gave my maidservant into your arms, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between me and you.”

6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your maidservant is in your hand. Do whatever you please to her.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she ran away from her presence.

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, and she had a maidservant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Now look, the LORD has kept me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maidservant. It may be that I can obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to Sarai’s voice.

7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the desert, by the spring on the way to Shur.

8 And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maidservant, from where have you come? And where are you going?” And she said, “I’m running away from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

3 And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar, her Egyptian maidservant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her

9 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.” 10 And the angel of the LORD said to

firstborn of the Egyptians. Later we see that He Himself sent Israel into the land of Canaan to exterminate its wicked inhabitants. We see that He gave orders to King Saul to completely obliterate the Amalekites. We see that in the Gospels Jesus Himself spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem by its enemies as a result of their sin. Other examples can be given. And if God caused such things to happen, surely it is wisdom on our part to attribute to Him a good reason for His actions, though we may not understand what the reason is. It is madness to accuse Him of injustice or of acting contrary to goodness and wisdom. Are we superior to God that we can judge Him and call His actions into question? Are we more just than He? Do we see more clearly than He what should be done among the peoples of the world? See also the note on Psalm 47:2. 15:17 In ancient times when making a solemn covenant sometimes an animal was killed and divided into two parts. Then the covenant makers passed between the parts. See Jer 34:18,19. Here God Himself, symbolized by fire, walked between the parts of the slain animals. On fire as a symbol of God see Ex 3:2. “Furnace” – or “fire pot.” “Flaming torch” is closer to the Hebrew than “burning lamp.” 15:18-21 God now makes a solemn covenant to give the land of Canaan to Abram’s descendants (13:14-17; 17:1-8; 22:17; 26:4; 28:13-15). The land was occupied by numerous and strong peoples, but God fulfilled His promise as He always does. See Josh 21:43-45; 1 Kings 4:20,21. 16:1-4 God had promised Abram that an heir would be born to him (15:4). Now Abram makes the mistake of trying to fulfill God’s promise in his own way, instead of waiting

for God to do so in His way. He listens to the voice of his wife instead of waiting for God’s voice. The results were sad indeed for Abram and Sarai, and deeply affected the whole history of Western Asia. The offspring of Abram and Hagar was Ishmael, the progenitor of twelve Arab tribes (16:11; 17:20; 25:12-18). The descendants of Ishmael and Isaac (21:1-3) have often been opposed to each other even to this day. 16:7 Angels are mentioned about 300 times in the Bible. They are spirit beings usually unseen by men. But they may appear in the form of men from time to time. Both the Hebrew and Greek words for angel means “messenger.” Angels were created by God for His service. Some important references to them are: 28:12; Job 1:6; 38:7; Ps 78:49; 91:11; 103:20; Dan 6:22; Matt 1:20; 13:39,41; 16:27; 22:30; 25:41; 26:53; John 1:51; Acts 7:53; 8:26; 12:711; 2 Cor 11:14; Col 2:18; Heb 1:6,7; 1 Pet 1:12; 2 Pet 2:4; Rev 1:1; 22:8,9. There are innumerable angels (Rev 5:11), but the angel in this verse is a very special one. His name is “the angel of the LORD (Jehovah).” He appears many times in the Old Testament and speaks as if He were God Himself (31:11-13; Ex 3:2-6), and He has divine attributes (16:10; 48:16). He is identified as the LORD (Jehovah – Judges 2:1-3; 6:12,14,16,23). His name is “wonderful” (Jud 13:18; compare Isa 9:6). He appeared several times in the form of a man (Jud 13:3,6,10,11,13). For these reasons it seems certain that this angel is none other than the Son of God, Jesus Christ, coming to help and bless men before His birth of a virgin many centuries later. 16:10 This is language only God can use – 17:1,2,19,20.

GENESIS 16:11 26

her, “I will increase the number of your offspring exceedingly, so that they will be too many to count.”

nations. 5 And your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you in their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land where you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.”

11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “See, you are with child. You will give birth to a son, and shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand will be against him. And he will live in the presence of all his brothers.”

13 And she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me”, for she said, “Here have I also seen him who sees me?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. To this day, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

9 And God said to Abraham, “Therefore you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you must be circumcised. 11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. And it will be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 And among you he who is eight days old shall be circumcised, every male in your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your offspring. 13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. And my covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son. And Abram called his son’s name, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will increase your numbers exceedingly.”

3 And Abram prostrated himself, and God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for me, now this is my covenant with you: you will be a father of many

16:11 Ishmael means “God hears.” “Misery” – see how concerned the great God of the universe was with the sorrows of a servant girl. Compare Ex 1:2325; 22:26,27; Ps 103:13,14; Matt 8:2,3; 9:36; Luke 22:50,51. This should give us confidence that He cares for us too and will hear us when we call. See Ps 65:2. 16:13 “Sees me” – Job 24:23; 31:4; 34:21; Ps 139:1-6; Prov 5:21; 15:3; 2 Chron 16:9; Heb 4:13. 16:14 This name means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” 17:1 “Appeared” – 12:7. “God Almighty” – the Hebrew words for this are El Shaddai. The name is used 48 times in the Old Testament, mostly in Genesis (6) and Job (31). El Shaddai is the allsufficient one who can keep His promises and do anything for His people He decides to do (18:14; Jer 32:17,27; Matt 19:26; Rom 4:21). “Blameless” – the Hebrew word here (translated “perfect” in the KJV) means “complete”, “whole”, “sound”, “wholesome”, “innocent”, “having integrity”, “blameless”, or “perfect.” this is what God wants all His believers to be – 6:9; Deut 18:13; Job 1:1; Ps 15:1,2; 19:13; Prov 2:7; 1 Cor 1:8; Phil 2:15; 1 Thess 3:13; 5:23; 2 Pet 3:14. A blameless life must be a walk in God’s presence and with His strength, and always looking to Him and for Him. 17:2 See 12:2,3; 13:14-16; 15:4,5,18. 17:4 “Many nations” – all the descendants

of Ishmael, Isaac, and Abraham’s sons by Keturah (Gen 16:10; 17:19; 25:1-4). 17:5 Abram means “exalted father.” Abraham means “father of a multitude.” 17:6 “Kings” – a great many kings came from Abraham – rulers of the nation of Israel and other peoples. Also the King of kings, the Lord Jesus, in His human nature, is descended from Abraham. 17:7,8 “To be your God” – this was the most important of the promises of this covenant – far greater than the promise of the land of Canaan. This promise is repeated under the new covenant – Jer 31:31-33; 2 Cor 6:16. It is also one of the last and best things seen in the Bible – Rev 21:3. If the true and living God is our God then we have the highest possible good and all we can ever need for time or eternity. 17:9-14 Circumcision was to signify something spiritual – Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:25,26; Col 2:11. It spoke of faith in God’s word, and a righteousness that comes by faith (Rom 4:11). It was an agreement to be the people of God and listen to His voice. The mere outward ceremony meant nothing if there was not faith and a desire to please and serve God (Rom 2:28,29). But if the rite was not practiced, if a person had no faith, no obedience to God’s covenant, he was to be cut off from the people. Men had responsibility under the covenant God made with Abraham. It was to believe God and act accordingly. 17:10 17:15 Sarah means “princess.”

27 GENESIS 18:14

covenant. 14 As for the uncircumcised male, the flesh of whose foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall becut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

And the LORD appeared to him at the oak trees of Mamre as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 And he raised his eyes and looked and three men appeared, standing near him. And when he saw them, he ran from the ten t door to meet them, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favour in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a piece of bread. Refresh yourselves. After that you can go on. That is why you have come to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have said.”

15 And God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her, and give you a son by her also. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of people will come from her.”

17 Then Abraham prostrated himself and laughed and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child ?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live in your presence!”

6 And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Get ready three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread on the hearth.”

19 And God said, “Your wife Sarah will certainly bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, and with his offspring after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Now I have blessed him and will make him fruitful, and will increase his numbers exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this same time next year.” 22 And he finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

7 And Abraham ran to the herd and brought a choice tender calf and gave it to a young man who hurried to prepare it. 8 And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set them before them. And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

9 And they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.”

10 And he said, “I will certainly return to you, according to the time of life, and then your wife Sarah will have a son.” And Sarah heard it standing in the tent door, which was behind him.

23 And Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who had been born in his house, and all who had been bought with his money, every male among the persons of Abraham’s household, and that very day circumcised the flesh of their foreskin, as God had told him. 24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day. 27 And all the men of his household, born in the house and bought with money from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well advanced in age, and it had ceased to be with Sarah according to the way of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old will I have pleasure, my lord also being old?”

13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I, who am old, indeed bear a child ? 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah will have a son.”

17:16 For the first time God promises that Sarah shall bear a son. 17:17,18 The faith of Abraham, the man of faith, and the father of all who believe, temporarily stumbles. Perhaps he “believed not for joy” (Luke 24:40,41). In all of God’s believers there is a mixture of faith and unbelief, and we all have reason enough to cry out as the man in Mark 9:24 did. 17:19-21 God repeats the promise. Isaac means “he laughs.” God says He will establish the covenant with him, not with Ishmael (but Ishmael also was to receive God’s blessing because he was a son of Abraham.) Now Abraham fully believed the promise concerning Isaac. See Rom 4:17-24. 17:23 Abraham immediately obeyed. See also 22:1-3. This is a mark of a man of God. Many people put obedience to God’s

Word off to another time, and then never get around to it (Acts 24:25; 2 Cor 6:2; Heb 3:15; John 2:5). 18:1,2 Here is an instance of God appearing in the form of man. See 12:7; 16:7. The other two that appeared to Abraham were angels (vs 16,22; 19:1). 18:6 “Bread” – the KJV has “cakes”, which is misleading to readers now. The meaning of the Hebrew is flat round bread like chapathis or parathas. 18:8 Abraham’s preparation of the meal took some time. The Lord and His angels waited patiently. See Jud 6:18. 18:12 See 17:17. Though Sarah laughed here, later she may also have believed the promise – Heb 11:11,12.

“Lord” – the Hebrew also means “husband.” 18:14 “Is anything too hard for the LORD”

GENESIS 18:15 28

15 Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh”, for she was afraid. And he said, “No, but you did laugh.”

righteous in the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sakes.”

27 And Abraham answered and said, “Please, here am I, who am only dust and ashes, undertaking to speak to the Lord, 28 perhaps the fifty righteous will lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”

16 And the men got up from there and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to take them on the way. 17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am going to do, 18 seeing that Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and so they will keep the way of the LORD, practicing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham that which he has told him.”

And he said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”

29 And he spoke to him once again and said, “Perhaps there will be forty found there.”

And he said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

30 And he said to him, “Oh, may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak: perhaps thirty will be found there.”

20 And the LORD said, “Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21 I will now go down and see whether they have done altogether according to its outcry, which has reached me; and if not, I will know.” 22 And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 23 And Abraham drew near and said, “Will you destroy the righteous also with the wicked? 24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous people in the city. Will you really destroy it and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are there? 25 Far be it from you to act in this way, to kill the righteous with the wicked. That the righteous should be as the wicked – be it far from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

And he said, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Please, here am I undertaking to speak to the Lord: Perhaps twenty will be found there.”

And he said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

32 And he said, “Oh, may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak just once more: perhaps ten will be found there.”

And he said, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

33 And the LORD went his way when he had finished conversing with Abraham, and Abraham went back to his place.

26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty

– Jer 32:17,27; Matt 19:25,26; Luke 1:37. 18:15 Sarah shows her sinful nature by lying to God. See 12:13. Very often the wrong kind of fear causes even good people to sin. The healthy fear of God keeps them from it (20:11; Ex 20:20). So God tells His people not to fear what men in general fear (15:1), but to fear Him – Deut 10:20; Matt 10:28; Heb 12:28. 18:16 “Sodom” – 13:12,13. 18:17 Ps 25:14; Prov 3:32; Amos 3:7; John 7:17; Isa 41:8. 18:18 See 12:3; 22:18; Acts 3:25; Gal 3:8. 18:19 “Children” – Deut 4:9; 6:6,7; 11:9; Ps 78:4; Prov 22:6; Eph 6:4; 2 Tim 3:15. See here Abraham’s responsibility to behave in such a way that God could fulfill His promises to him. God chose him for this very reason. 18:20,21 “I will know” – didn’t the Lord, who is omniscient, know what the exact state of Sodom was? Why did He need to go down and see? He did not need to. He can know everything without going anywhere – John 21:17; Heb 4:13 (so no one should ever think he can hide anything from God). But can He not also in His perfect liberty, if He wishes, choose not to know something – such as all the details of the vileness of the people of Sodom? And can He not choose to forget what He wants to forget (compare Isa 43:5; Jer 31:34; Heb 10:17)? Does

anyone know enough about the nature of God to be able to say dogmatically what He can and cannot do in such matters as this? On the sin of Sodom see Ezek 16:49,50. 18:22,23 Abraham understood God’s intention to destroy Sodom. His nephew Lot was living there and Abraham was afraid that Lot would be destroyed in the destruction of Sodom. And he probably felt compassion for the people of Sodom, wicked though they were. So he begins to intercede for the city. 18:24 “Spare” – the Hebrew word here may also mean “forgive” (also v 26). 18:25 “Judge” – Ps 9:7,8; 58:11; 94:2; 96:13; Eccl 12:14; Acts 17:30,31; Rom 2:16; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11-15. “Do right” – Deut 32:4; 2 Chron 19:7; Job 34:10,12; 37:23; Ps 89:14; 97:2; Jer 9:24. 18:27 “Dust and ashes” – 3:19. Abraham takes his rightful place as a frail, mortal creature before the great Creator and Lord of the universe. There is no other proper way for men to pray to the one true God. 18:30 “Angry” – God will not be angry when men humbly pray and intercede for others. For the things which really make God angry see Num 25:3. 18:32 Abraham stopped at ten, perhaps thinking that Lot would have been able to lead his family and a few others at least into

29 GENESIS 19:17 19

And two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. Seeing them Lot got up to meet them, and he bowed with his face toward the ground, 2 and he said, “Please now, my lords, turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the street.”

10 But the men inside put out their hand and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

12 And the men said to Lot, “Have you here anyone else? Sons-in-law and your sons and your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them out of this place, 13 for we are going to destroy this place, because their outcry has become great in the presence of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”

3 And he urged them so strongly that they turned aside to him and went into his house. And he made a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house, 5 and they called out to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know them.”

14 And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Up! get out of this place, for the Lord is going to destroy this city.” But to his sons-in-law he seemed like someone who was joking.

15 And when the morning dawned the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here so that you will not be destroyed in the punishment for the wickedness of the city.”

6 And Lot went out the door to them and shut the door after him, 7 and said, “Please, brethren, do not act so wickedly. 8 Now look, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Please let me bring them out to you, and you do to them as you see fit. But do nothing to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

16 And when he hesitated, the men took hold of his hand, of the hand of his wife, and of the hand of his two daughters, for the LORD was merciful to him. And they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And this took place when they had brought them out: one of them said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere on the plain. Escape to the mountain, so you will not be destroyed!”

9 And they said, “Stand back.” And they said again, “This one came in to town to stay a while, and he has to be a judge! Now we will we treat you worse than them.” And they crowded in on the man Lot, and came near to break in the door.

the paths of righteousness. Actually in the whole city of Sodom there was only one righteous person. That was Lot (2 Pet 2:68). And even he needed the prayers of Abraham for his rescue (19:29). Prayer is a very positive and mysterious and powerful force in God’s dealings with men (20:17,18; Ex 17:11; 32:11-14; Num 14:19,20; 16:46-48; Josh 10:12-14; Job 42:10; Ps 18:6-10; 65:2; Prov 15:8,29; Isa 38:16; Jer 33:3; Dan 2:17-19; 9:3,21-23; 10:2,12-14; Matt 6:9-13; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9,10; 18:1-8; Acts 1:14; 2:1-4; 4:24,31; 12:5-10; Jam 5:16-18; Rev 8:3-5). 19:1 “Angels” – these angels also appeared as men – 18:1,2,22. Sodom was notorious as the most wicked city of the ancient world and was about to be destroyed as an example of God’s wrath and judgment on sin (2 Pet 2:6; Jude 7; Deut 29:23; 32:32; Ezek 16:49,50). Notes at 6:7; Lev 18:24.

of Sodom wished to use force to satisfy their lust, piling sin on sin. 19:8 According to the rules of hospitality in those times guests in a home had to be protected by their host. Still it was surely an act of desperation for Lot to basely offer his defenseless daughters to these vile men. 19:9 Lot, though he was a righteous man, had no influence whatever over the people of Sodom. 19:11 God has His own ways of protecting His people, and it does not involve any acts of desperation such as appear in v 8. 19:13 Justice and the good of the world demanded Sodom’s destruction. 19:14 Lot had no influence over his sonsin-law either.

“Joking” – sometimes those who bring the most solemn and true messages are regarded as fools or madmen – compare Acts 2:13; 17:18; 26:24. 19:16 It seems Lot still had not understood the seriousness of the situation and was reluctant to leave Sodom. His home and his wealth were there. In spite of his reluctance to leave, God was merciful to him. It was God’s mercy and not Lot’s goodness that was the reason for his deliverance. Compare Eph 2:4,8; 2 Pet 3:9; etc. 19:17 “Escape” – God’s judgment was on the way. It called for immediate action.

“Gate” – 34:20. 19:2 Their preference to spend the night outdoors does not speak well of Lot’s home. 19:4,5 “Know them” – see note at Gen 4:1. In the Bible lying with a man as with a woman is seen as a terrible sin. In the law He gave God says it is worthy of death (Lev 18:22; 20:13). The New Testament also speaks strongly against it (Rom 1:26,27; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10; Jude 7). The men

GENESIS 19:18 30

18 And Lot said to them, “No, please, my Lord! 19 Now look, your servant has found favour in your sight, and you have magnified your mercy, which you have shown me in saving my life, but I cannot escape to the mountain, or some evil may overtake me and I will die. 20 Now see, that town is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Please let me escape there (is it not a little one?), and my soul will live.”

cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us according to the way of the whole earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie down with him, so that we may bring to life offspring of our father.”

33 And they made their father drink wine that night, and the first born went in and lay with her father. And he did not know when she lay down, or when she got up.

21 And he said to him, “See, I have accepted you for this thing also, so that I will not overthrow this town of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry! Escape there, for I cannot do any thing until you have gone there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

34 And it came about on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Look, last night I lay with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, so that we may bring to life offspring of our father.” 35 And they made their father drink wine that night also. Then the younger got up and lay with him. And he did not know when she lay down, or when she got up.

23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot went into Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained sulfur and fire on Sodom and on Gomorrah out of the sky from the LORD. 25 And he overthrew those cities and the whole plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew in the ground. 26 But his wife, from behind him, looked back and she became a pillar of salt.

36 In this way both the daughters of Lot were pregnant by their father. 37 And the firstborn gave birth to a son, and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 As to the younger, she also gave birth to a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon of today.

27 And Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the LORD, 28 and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and looking saw that the smoke of the country was going up like the smoke of a furnace.

And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and lived between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed for a while in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister”, and Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

29 And when God destroyed the cities of the plain, it came about that God remembered Abraham and so sent Lot out of the center of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in a mountain, and his two daughters went with him, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. And he lived in a

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “Now you are the same as dead, because of the woman whom you have taken, for

Compare Matt 3:7; Heb 6:18. 19:18-20 Lot would not leave the choice of the place for him in God’s hands. Still he wanted to make his own self-centered choice. Compare 13:10,11. 19:22 God was going to rescue Lot in answer to Abraham’s prayer (v 29) and could not destroy Sodom until Lot was out of it. So with Noah (chapters 6,7); so with God’s people at the end of this age (Rev 14:1416; 15:1). “Zoar” means small. 19:26 Lot had little or no influence over his wife. All she wanted was in Sodom. See Luke 17:32. 19:27 See 18:22. 19:29 Lot was rescued for Abraham’s sake and in answer to Abraham’s prayer. 19:30-38 Lot had no godly influence over his daughters either. And he was responsible for what happened there. This story of Lot is very sad, but very instructive. He was a man who believed God and was counted righteous (2 Pet 2:6-8). But he made a bad choice because of greed, and did not keep his distance from Sodom. He knew what

Sodom was like and felt bad about the behavior of its people. But he chose to live there. And obviously he did not bring up his daughters in the instruction and fear of God. He is a picture of carnal believers who, though saved, will experience great loss – 1 Cor 3:1-15. Let us learn from God’s Word what the world is really like and how to live in it (1 John 2:16,17; 2 Cor 6:14-18), and what great loss we can suffer by selfishness and compromise. 19:36-38 The Moabites and Ammonites later became enemies of Israel. Such sin as the daughters of Lot committed with him, indeed all sin, can have far-reaching consequences. 19:38 “Ben-Ammi” means “son of my people.” 20:1 Gerar was in the land of the Philistines toward the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 20:2 Abraham repeats his former sin 12:13). An event like this shows that when Satan knows our weakness he will bring the same temptations again and again. 20:3 Once again God had to intervene to

31 GENESIS 21:2

she is a man’s wife.”

will kill me on account of my wife.’ 12 And yet she really is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, it came about that I said to her, ‘You shall show me this kindness: wherever we go, say of me, ‘He is my brother.’”

4 But Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy righteous people? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she also, she herself, said, ‘He is my brother’. I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”

6 And God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, for I also kept you from sinning against me. For this reason I did not permit you to touch her. 7 So now return the man’s wife to him, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not return her, know for a certainty that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and male servants, and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Live where it pleases you.”

16 And he said to Sarah, “See, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. See, it is to cover the offense against you in the eyes of all who are with you; to everyone this is your vindication.”

8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing. And the men were very afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, ”What have you done to us? In what have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that ought not to be done.”

17 So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, and they gave birth to children. 18 For the LORD had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.

10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see that you have done this thing?”

And the LORD looked after Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time which

11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they

protect Sarah. This is the first use of the word “dream” in the Bible. But see 15:12. 20:6 “From sinning” – 1 Sam 25:26; Jude 24.

of fear a criminal may have for jails and police. It is a healthy awe and respect for God, a fear of offending Him by sinning. It is exceedingly important for people to have the fear of God.

“Against me” – Ps 51:4. 20:7 “Prophet” – the word “prophet” in Hebrew does not mean an eloquent speaker or a learned man, though some of the prophets of the Bible were both. The Hebrew verb from which the word prophet comes means to announce, to proclaim, or to speak by some sort of inspiration. Certainly in general a prophet in the Bible was a person who spoke by inspiration, under the influence of some spirit. A true prophet was inspired by God’s Spirit and spoke God’s messages. A false prophet spoke by inspiration from some source other than God, and spoke lying messages. See also Num 11:25. For true prophets see Deut 18:18; 1 Sam 3:19-21; 1 Kings 17:1,2,8; Jer 1:4-10; Micah 1:1; 3:8; etc. For false prophets see Deut 18:20-22; 1 Kings 18:19-29; Jer 14:14; 23:32; Ezekiel chapter 13; Matt 24:11,24; Luke 6:26; 2 Pet 2:1; 1 John 4:1; Rev 16:13; 19:20. The whole Bible was given by God through His true prophets. Much of it has been fulfilled, some still awaits fulfillment. 20:9 It is a sad day when outsiders must rebuke the prophets and servants of God for their wrongdoing. 20:11 The first reference in the Bible to the “fear of God.” This fear is not a fear to come to God, or to pray to God. It is not the kind

It restrains from evil doing (Ex 20:20; Prov 16:6).

It is a motive for obeying God (Deut 5:29; 6:2). It is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). It results in God’s great blessings (Deut 6:24; Ps 25:14; 33:18,19; 34:7-9; 85:9; 103:11,13,17; 115:13; Prov 14:27; 19:23; Isa 33:6). It is the duty of all mankind (Ps 33:8), and without it men fall into great evil (Rom 3:18 with preceding verses). We should all pray for it (Ps 86:11).

It is something we may choose to have or not have (Prov 1:29).

See other notes at Job 28:28; Ps 34:1114; 111:10; Prov 1:7; etc. 20:16 “Thousand pieces of silver” – in Hebrew “a thousand shekels.” One shekel equals 11.5 grams. So the total amount was about 11:5 kilograms or 25 pounds – a very large amount showing how seriously Abimelech regarded the matter.

“To everyone this is your vindication” – this is the probable meaning of the Hebrew phrase, which is difficult. The translation of the KJV here is unlikely. 20:17 “Prayed to God” – note and references to prayer at 18:32. 20:18 “Closed up” – 1 Sam 1:5. 21:1,2 “Spoken” – 17:16; Titus 1:2.

GENESIS 21:3 32

God had told him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4 And when his son Isaac was eight days old Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

opposite him, raised her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is bothering you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Get up, pick up the lad, and hold him up with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh; all who hear it will laugh with me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water and she went, filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy a drink.

20 And God was with the boy, and he grew, lived in the desert, and became an archer. 21 And he lived in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

8 And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she bore to Abraham, mocking. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman will not be heir with my son, with Isaac.”

22 And at that time it came about that Abimelech and Phichol, the chief captain of his forces, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 So here and now swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my son or with my son’s son, but that the same kindness that I have shown to you, you will show to me, and to the land where you have been staying for a time.”

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12 And God said to Abraham, “Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad and because of your slave woman. Listen to Sarah’s voice in everything she has said to you, for in Isaac shall your offspring be called. 13 And I will also make a nation of the son of the slave woman, because he is your offspring.”

24 And Abraham said, “I will swear it.” 25 And Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had taken by force. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing, and you did not tell me, and I did not hear it, until today.”

14 And Abraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a bottle of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, gave her the boy and sent her away. And she left and wandered around in the desert of Beersheba.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham put seven ewe lambs from the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have put by themselves?”

15 And the water in the bottle was finished, and she thrust the boy under one of the bushes. 16 And she went and seated herself opposite him at a distance of about a bow shot. For she said, “Let me not see the boy’s death.” And she sat

30 And he said, “Take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, so that they will be a witness for

was not confirmed to Ishmael. There was only the promise that he too would become a great nation – vs 13,18. 21:14 “Morning” – again we see Abraham’s immediate obedience – 17:23; 22:2,3.

21:3 “Isaac” – 17:19. 21:4 See 17:10,12. 21:5 Rom 4:19-21. 21:6 See 18:13. 21:9 This was Ishmael. 16:1,4,15; Gal 4:22,23. At this time he was about sixteen years old, Isaac only two or three. 21:10 Gal 4:29-31. 21:11 The error Abraham made in the matter of Hagar (16:1,2) now brings much sorrow to him. Going our own way in anything usually results in grief. Only the will of God is good, pleasing and perfect – Rom 12:2. 21:12 Rom 9:7; Heb 11:18. Isaac, the child God promised, was chosen by God to be the heir of Abraham and the one through whom the Saviour of the world would come. The covenant of blessing to the world which God had made with Abraham (12:1-3) was confirmed to him. The rest of the Old Testament for the most part, and part of the New Testament is the story of Isaac’s descendants through Jacob. This covenant

“Boy” – the KJV here has “child”, which could be misleading. Ishmael was a teenager. The Hebrew means “youth” or “young man” or “boy”, as well as “child.” 21:17 “Heard” – Ex 2:24; 3:7; Deut 26:7; Ps 6:8; 10:17; 34:6,15,17; 66:19; 116:11. 21:19 “Eyes” – Num 22:31; 2 Kings 6:17. Sometimes God creates new things or new ways to provide for His people; sometimes He merely opens their eyes to what is already there. 21:21 Paran was located south of Canaan in the Sinai peninsula. 21:22 “Abimelech” – 20:2. “With you” – 26:28; 28:15; 39:2,3,21; Acts 7:9,10; Heb 13:5,6; Rev 21:3; Ex 33:14-16; 34:8,9; Josh 1:5; Isa 7:14. Note at Ex 25:8.

33 GENESIS 22:6

2 And he said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you about.”

me, that I have dug this well.”

31Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath.

32 In this way they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phichol, the chief captain of his forces, got up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. 34 And Abraham stayed for many days in the land of the Philistines.

3 And Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son, cut up the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place which God had told him about. 4 Then on the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place at a distance. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, ”Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there and worship and come back to you.”

And after these things it came about that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham.” And he said, “See, here I am.”

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt

21:31 Beersheba can have two meanings – “well of the oath” or “well of the seven.” 21:32 “Philistines” – 10:14. 21:33 “Everlasting God” – Hebrew “El Olam.” Olam comes from a word that has more than one meaning – “hidden” or “secret”, “a long time” or “everlasting”, or “world.” Deut 29:29; 32:39,40; 33:27; Ps 90:2; Isa 40:28; Jer 10:10; Heb 13:8,20,21; Rev 1:18. 22:1 “Tested Abraham” – God often asked Abraham to give up things and persons. At first He asked him to give up country and relatives (12:1). Then He asked him to give up his plans for Ishmael (17:17,18). Finally He asked him to give up his son. Just so does the Lord Jesus ask those who would be His disciples to give up everything for Him (Matt 10:37-39; Mark 10:21,29-31; Luke 9:57-62; 14:33). God will test His people’s love for Him, their faith in Him, their obedience to Him. These tests, though they may be difficult and painful, will work for the good of those who endure them. They will increase their faith and teach them many important lessons (Deut 8:2,16; 13:3; Ps 66:10-12; Jam 1:2-4,12; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 4:12,13). God tests us to bring out the good he has put in us. Satan tempts us to bring out the evil in our fallen nature.

He would never ask Abraham to do something that was wrong (Jam 1:13). Actually this is the only case in the entire Bible when God asked a person to offer another as a sacrifice. It seems God had a two-fold purpose in this. He wished to test Abraham’s devotion and faith and He wished to give a picture of what He Himself planned to do through His son Jesus Christ in offering Him for the sins of the world. The test for Abraham was like this: God had said that Isaac was Abraham’s only son, his heir, the one with whom God would establish His covenant (15:4; 17:16,19; 21:12; 22:2). Would Abraham believe God’s promises even when faced with a command that seemed contrary to them? Would he believe that God could do no wrong and could not break His word? Abraham was equal to this test. He reasoned that if God asked him to do something God had a good reason for it, and that somehow or other God would fulfill His promises (Rom 4:21). He believed that even if he had to put Isaac to death God would raise him to life again to fulfill His word (Heb 11:17-19).

All this is a picture of what God has done in Jesus Christ. Like Isaac Jesus is the only Son of the Father (John 3:16). He is the heir of the world (Heb 1:2), the one through whom God made His new covenant (Heb 9:15), the one through whom the blessings promised to Abraham would come to the world (Acts 3:26; Gal 3:14; Eph 1:3). God in love to mankind offered Him up as a sacrifice for sinners (Rom 5:8; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 3:18; 1 John 4:9). Then He raised Him from the dead to fulfill all His promises (Acts 2:24,32-36; 1 Cor 15:3,4). God told Abraham to take Isaac to the “land of Moriah.” Jerusalem was located in this region (2 Chron 3:1). Jerusalem, of course, is the place where the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected. 22:3 “Morning” – Abraham practiced instant obedience – 17:23; 21:14.

“Here I am” – v 11. 22:2 “Only son” – though Ishmael was a son by the servant girl, Isaac was the only son of Abraham and his wife, the only son related to God’s covenant and promises.

In the Bible the one true God forbids human sacrifice to other gods (Lev 18:21; Deut 18:9,10; 2 Kings 17:17). This is because other gods are not God at all and no one has any right to offer anything to them, let alone fellow human beings. All things and all persons belong to God the Creator, and in a double sense His redeemed people belong to Him (1:27; Ps 50:10; Isa 42:5; Ezek 18:4; Ex 13:1,2; 19:5; Lev 20:26; 1 Cor 6:19,20). Since all men are God’s property He has a perfect right to do with them as He sees fit. He may, if He wants, even demand that they be offered as burnt offerings, as He told Abraham to offer Isaac.

“Wood” – Abraham fully intended to do what God told him and made preparations for obedience. 22:5 The words “come back” seem to indicate Abraham’s faith. 22:6 “On his son Isaac” – compare John

Remember God is a just and holy God.

GENESIS 22:7 34

offering, and put it on his son Isaac. And he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and the two of them went on together. 7 And Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “See, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

on the seashore. And your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies. 18 And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beersheba, and Abraham stayed at Beersheba.

8 And Abraham said, “My son, God himself will provide a lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went on together.

20 After these things it came about that someone told Abraham, saying, “Now Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 And his concubine also, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him about, and Abraham built an altar there, arranged the wood on it, bound his son Isaac, and placed him on top of the wood on the altar. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called to him out of heaven and said, ”Abraham, Abraham.” And he said, “Here I am.”

12 And he said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy, and do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.”

And Sarah’s lifespan was a hundred and twenty-seven years. These were the years of Sarah’s life. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjath Arba. This is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

13 And Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behind him a ram appeared, caught in a thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Jireh, just as it is said to this day, “In the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

3 And Abraham got up from the presence of his dead wife and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a foreigner and a settler among you. Permit me the possession of a burial site among you, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham out of heaven a second time, 16 and said, “I have sworn by myself, says the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 that I will certainly bless you, and I will certainly increase the number of your offspring like the stars of heaven and like the sand which is

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “My lord, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed down before the people of the land, to the children of

Hebrew word which usually means “seen.” The Lord will see to it means that he will provide it. 22:16-18 “I will certainly bless” – obedience to God always brings blessings. Notes at 12:2,3; Num 6:22-27; Deut 28:1-14; Ps 1:1,2; 119:1. The Hebrew has “blessing I will bless.” Writers in Hebrew sometimes repeated the verb in this way for the sake of emphasis, so “certainly bless” is also correct.

19:17. Evidently Isaac was no small child. He was able to carry a load, and knew what was going on (v 7). 22:8 “Provide” – verse 13. Compare John 1:29,36; Acts 8:32-35; 1 Pet 1:18,19; Rev 5:6-14. 22:9 “Altar” – there is nothing here to suggest Isaac resisted Abraham. It seems he willingly cooperated with his father in all this. So did Jesus when He faced the cross (John 10:18; Matt 26:39). 22:10 The moment of final obedience came and Abraham did not shrink back. 22:11 “The angel of the LORD” – note at 16:7. The Son of God stopped Abraham. Much later in history He did not stop Himself but willingly gave Himself to death for us all (John 10:11,17,18; Gal 1:4; Phil 2:8). 22:14 “Jehovah Jireh” – a name meaning “The LORD will provide” – see note at Ex 3:14,15. In Christ Jehovah did provide an offering and a sacrifice for the sins of the world. And that event took place at “the mountain of the LORD” – in Jerusalem.

“Offspring” – Acts 3:25,26; Gal 3:16. 22:20 “Nahor” – 11:29. 22:23 “Rebekah” – 24:67. 23:3 “The sons of Heth” – Heth was a son of Canaan and the progenitor of the Hittite people. See 10:15. Note on Hittites at 26:34,35. 23:4 “Foreigner and a settler” – 20:13; Lev 25:23; 1 Chron 29:15; Ps 39:12; Heb 11:8-10,13. “Permit” – a secondary meaning of the Hebrew word which also means “give”, but probably the better translation here because Abraham was not asking for the gift of a burial site. 23:6 “Mighty prince” – perhaps they were

“Provided” – a secondary meaning of the

35 GENESIS 24:11

Heth. 8 And he talked with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I should bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me and on my behalf ask Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 to permit me to have the cave of Machpelah, which he owns, which is at the end of his field. For its full price let him give it me as a possession for a burial site among you.”

the land of Canaan. 20 And the field, and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as a possession for a burial site.

And Abraham was old, well advanced in age, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who was in charge of all that he had, “Please, place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. 4 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

10 And Ephron lived among the children of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, of all those who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, listen to me. I will give the field to you, and I give you the cave that is it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will give it, please, listen to me. I will give you money for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”

5 And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Should I take your son back to the land that you came from?”

6 And Abraham said to him, “You be careful that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my relatives, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’, he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.” 9 And the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him about that matter.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

16 And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed the silver for Ephron, the price he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the area of its borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre. This is Hebron in

10 And the servant took ten camels of his master’s camels, and left, for all the goods of his master were in his charge. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water, at evening time, the time when women

aware of some of Abraham’s activities, such as those in 14:14-16 and 20:17. 23:9 Though God had given Abraham and his descendants the whole land, he actually possessed none of it and had to buy a portion for a burial ground. In the same way, by promise the whole world belongs to believers in Christ (Rom 4:13; 8:17; 1 Cor 3:21,22; Gal 4:7). However, at present most of them possess very little or none of it. The fulfillment of these promises of God await the time when God rises in judgment on the world and the kingdoms of the world becomes the kingdom of God and Christ (Rev 2:26,27; 11:15; 19:15). 23:10 “Gate” – v 18; 19:1; Deut 25:7; Josh 20:4; Ruth 4:11. 23:15 “Shekels” – the total amount was about 4.5 kilograms – probably a very high price for a field in Abraham’s day (compare Jer 32:9). Sometimes those people who at first seem most generous will take the greatest advantage of others.

24:1 “Blessed” – 12:2; 13:2; 24:35. 24:2 “Thigh” – a custom then when making a very solemn promise (47:29). 24:3 Deut 7:3; Ezra 9:1-4; 1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 6:14-17. Abraham worshiped the one true God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The Canaanites worshiped many gods and idols. Abraham wanted to keep his son separate from such things. And he knew that a Canaanite wife might turn his son to idolatry. Compare Deut 7:3,4; 1 Kings 11:1-6; Ezra 9:1-4; 1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 6:14-18. 24:4 “My country” – not Ur of Chaldea, but where Abraham lived later for a while – v 10; 11:31. 24:6-8 “Land” – 12:7; 13:5; 15:18. “His angel” – note at 16:7. This marriage was arranged in heaven. 24:9 Verse 2. 24:10 The servant in this chapter is a model for all who would serve God. He was obedient, prayerful, tactful, faithful, waited on God

GENESIS 24:12 36

go out to draw water.

his mercy and his truth toward my master. I being on the way, the LORD has led me to the house of my master’s brothers.”

12 And he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please send me good success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let it come about that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your water pot so I can drink’, and she says, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’, let her be the one that you have decided on for your servant Isaac. And by that I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

28 And the girl ran and told these things to those in her mother’s house. 29 And Rebekah had a brother. His name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man at the well. 30 And it came about when he saw the earring, and bracelets on his sister’s arms, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah saying, “This is what the man said to me”, that he came to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, “Come in, you blessed of the Lord. Why are you standing outside? For I have got the house ready, and a place for the camels.”

15 And it came about before he had finished speaking, that here came Rebekah, who had been born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. She had her water pot on her shoulder. 16 And the girl was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her water pot, and came up.

32 And the man came into the house. And Laban unloaded his camels, and gave straw and fodder for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 And food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Tell it.”

17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your water pot.”

34 And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 And the LORD has greatly blessed my master so that he has become rich; and he has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And my master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master when she was old. And to him he has given all that he has. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, ’You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I am living, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’

18 And she said, “Drink, my lord”, and she hurried and lowered her water pot onto her hand and gave him a drink.

19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 And she hurried and emptied her water pot into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, keeping silent, watched her to find out whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not.

22 And this happened when the camels had finished drinking: the man took a gold earring of half a shekel weight and two bracelets of ten shekels weight of gold for her arms, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

40 “And he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives, from my father’s household. 41 When you go to my relatives, then you will be free from this my oath. If they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

24 And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She also said to him, “We have both straw and fodder enough, and room to spend the night.”

42 “And today I came to the well and said, ‘O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now you will give success to the journey I have come on, 43 see, I am standing by the well of water, and it will happen that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, ’Please give me a little

26 And the man bowed his head, and worshipped the LORD. 27 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken

for guidance, and honored and praised his master.

24:27 “Led” – compare Ps 25:9; 32:8; 48:14; 73:24; Prov 3:5,6. 24:35 Material prosperity was often a sign of God’s blessing then, but not necessarily now. Many godly people are poor, many godless people are rich (Luke 6:20-26; 16:19-31; James 2:57). 24:40 “Walk” – see 17:1.

“Mesopotamia” – an area northeast of Canaan in what is now called Syria. 24:14 On asking God for signs see note and references at 15:8. 24:15 “Speaking” – Isa 65:24. 24:22 “Ten shekels” – about 110 grams.

37 GENESIS 25:7

water from your water pot to drink’, 44 and she says to me, ‘You drink, and I will also draw water for your camels’, let her be the woman whom the LORD has decided on for my master’s son.’

Send me away so I can go to my master.”

57 And they said, “We will call the girl, and ask her what she has to say.”

58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”

45 “And before I had finished speaking in my heart, suddenly Rebekah came out with her water pot on her shoulder, and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’

59 And they sent away their sister Rebekah, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “You are our sister. May you become the mother of thousands of millions, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.”

46 “And she hurried and lowered her water pot from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.

61 And Rebekah and her maids got up, and rode on the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 And Isaac had come from the way of the well Lahai Roi, for he lived in the south of the country. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening, and he raised his eyes and looked, and there were the camels coming. 64 And Rebekah raised her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got down from the camel, 65 for she had said to the servant, ”What man is this walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant had said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself.

47 ”And I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’. And I put the ring on her face, and the bracelets on her arms. 48 And I bowed my head and worshipped the LORD, and praised the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son. 49 And now if you will deal kindly and faithfully with my master, tell me, and if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The matter comes from the LORD. We cannot speak to you anything either bad or good. 51 See, Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has said.”

66 And the servant told Isaac everything that he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

52 And it came about that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the ground. 53 And the servant took out silver jewels, gold jewels, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. Also he gave to her brother and to her mother valuable things. 54 And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and spent the night there. In the morning they got up and he said, “Send me away to my master.”

Then again Abraham took a wife. Her name was Keturah. 2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begat Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

5 But Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of the concubines whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the east country.

55 And her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us for a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”

56 And he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my journey successful.

7 And these are the days of the years of

24:60 See 22:17. 24:67 In the events of the Old Testament there are often pictures of spiritual truth later revealed in the New Testament. Some think we have a picture in this chapter of the same truth Jesus presented in the parable of the king who made a marriage for his son (Matt 22:2). If this is so (and it is possible, though not at all certain) Abraham would represent God the Father who would make a marriage for His Son. The servant would represent the Holy Spirit who has come into the world to win the bride and who presents Christ to

people (John 16:13,14). Rebekah would represent the bride of Christ, His Church (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-32; Rev 19:7,8). Isaac would represent the Lord Jesus Christ who goes out to meet her (John 14:3; 1Thess 4:16,17). 25:1 Keturah means “incense.” 25:5 See 15:4; 24:36. 25:6 “Concubines” – the practice of polygamy was common in the ancient world, but it was not God’s instruction to men. See 2:24; 30:1. 25:7 Abraham lived 38 years after the death

GENESIS 25:8 38

Abraham’s life: he lived a hundred and seventyfive years. 8 Then Abraham expired, dying in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faces Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there. 11 And it came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived by the well Lahai Roi.

Abraham’s son: Abraham begot Isaac. 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And his prayer was accepted by the LORD, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 And the children struggled together in her, and she said, “If it is so, why am I like this?” And she went to ask the LORD.

23 And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two kinds of people will be separated from your body; and the one people will be stronger than the other people, and the older will serve the younger.”

12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore to Abraham; 13 these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their camps, twelve princes according to their nations. 17 And these were the years of the life of Ishmael: a hundred and thirty-seven years, and he expired. He died and was gathered to his people. 18 And they lived from Havilah to Shur, that is east of Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He died in the presence of all his brothers.

24 And when her days to give birth were fulfilled, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, like a hairy garment all over. And they called his name Esau. 26 And after that his brother came out, his hand holding on to Esau’s heel. And his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 And the boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the open field, but Jacob was a quiet man, staying in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his venison, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

19 And these are the generations of Isaac,

29 And Jacob was boiling some soup, and Esau

rejected and hated by God – see Mal 1:2,3. Their futures were not in the stars but in their response to God and in God’s decisions about them. This is always true. The position of planets and stars when we are born has absolutely nothing to do with what we will become.

of his first wife. 25:8 “Gathered to his people” – this phrase, meaning death, is used often in the Old Testament (25:17; 35:29; 49:29,33; etc). There may be in the phrase, as some think, a suggestion of survival after death. 25:9-10 See 23:17-18. “Sons of Heth” – the Hittites. 25:11 See 12:2,3; 26:3. 25:16 See 17:20,21. 25:18 Many present-day Arabs claim descent from Ishmael. 25:20 “Padam-Aram” – a region in what is present-day Syria. 25:21 “Barren” – 20:17,18; 1 Sam 1:217; 2:5; Ps 113:9; 127:3; Isa 54:1. “Prayer” – Ps 65:2; 66:18,19. 25:23 “Nations” – Edom and Israel – 32:3; Deut 2:4,8; 2 Sam 8:14; Jer 49:7,8; Amos 1:11; Obad 1; Mal 1:2. “Younger” – 27:40; Rom 9:10-15. This was the exact reverse of the usual custom and order. But God’s choice is according to His foreknowledge and sovereign will, and does not depend on the natural order of things. 25:24 “Twins” – see how close together in time Jacob and Esau were born – Jacob was holding the heel of his brother. According to those who follow astrology they were born under the same sign of the zodiac. The position of the stars and planets were the same for both of them. Yet how vastly different were their whole futures! One became loved and blessed by God, and the other became

Astrology cannot explain why the lives of twins should be so different, or anything else that can stand examination. It is a senseless superstition. Those who teach it have found it is a way to make money and to hold people in their power. In the case of Jacob and Esau (and this is true of us all), the important thing was the way they responded to the true and living God, and their attitude toward His promises. Jacob, though he had many faults, had faith in God and put great value on those promises. Esau did not care about either God or His promises. On astrology see Daniel chapter 2 and the note at 2:2. 25:25 Esau means “hairy.” 25:26 Jacob means “he grasps the heel.” This signified a person who is a “supplanter” or “deceiver.” 25:27 “Open field” – the word “field” does not mean he was a farmer. The Hebrew word can also mean an area where wild animals are. Esau was not one for plowing the fields, but for hunting or playing in them. 25:29 “Was boiling some soup” – the Hebrew word here translated “soup” means literally “something boiled”, such as soup, stew, or such like.

39 GENESIS 26:15

came from the field, and he was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me eat some of that red soup, for I’m worn out.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

6 And Isaac stayed in Gerar, 7 and the men of the place asked him about his wife, and he said, “She is my sister”, for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife”, thinking “The men of the place will kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at.”

31 And Jacob said, “Sell me this day your birthright.” 32 And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die, and so what good will this birthright do me?”

8 And when he had been there a long time, it so happened that Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out a window and now saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac and said, ”Look, surely she is your wife, and how is it that you said, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said that I may die on her account.”

33 And Jacob said, “Swear to me this day”, and he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil soup, and he ate and drank, and got up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Stay in the land which I will tell you about. 3 Stay in this land for a time, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will confirm the oath which I swore to Abraham your father, 4 and I will make your offspring to increase in number like the stars of heaven, and will give all these lands to your offspring, and in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”

11 And Abimelech ordered all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

12 Then Isaac sowed seed in that land and obtained in the same year a hundredfold, and the LORD blessed him, 13 and the man became rich and went on increasing until he became very rich. 14 He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and great number of servants, and the Philistines envied him. 15 So all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham the Philistines stopped up and filled them

2:4; Matt 17:20; 21:21,22; Mark 9:23; 11:24; John 3:36. “Despised” – the Hebrew word does not mean “hated” but “regarded with contempt” or “disdained.” The birthright meant nothing to Esau. 26:1 “Famine” – 12:10. “Abimelech” – 20:1,2; title to psalm 34. It is probable that Abimelech was a title of successive Philistine kings, as Pharaoh was of Egyptian kings.

25:30 Edom means “red.” 25:31 “Sell me” – Jacob began to show his scheming nature. But God would have fulfilled His will for him without his tricks (note at 27:18-26).

“Birthright” – the one who had the birthright or right of the firstborn was to be the head of the family. In this case, he was the one who would be in line to have the promise of the land and the blessings God had promised and through whom the Saviour of the world would come. Later, at least, the firstborn received a double portion of the inheritance (Deut 21:17). 25:32-34 Esau was not about to die. It was simply that he cared nothing for the promises of God, and for his birthright which made him the heir of those promises. He was a mere worldly man without faith and saw no reason to sacrifice a present pleasure for a future good. Like many today his god was his belly (Phil 3:19). He is described in Heb 12:16,17. Jacob in many ways was an unspiritual man and was willing to take advantage of his brother. He should of course simply have fed him without asking anything for it. Later, in chapter 27, he was willing to deceive his father to get what he wanted. But with all his faults he had a true faith in God which made him value God’s promised blessings. Faith is exceedingly important in God’s sight – 15:6; Heb 11:6; 1 John 5:10; Ps 78:21,22; Hab

“Philistines” – note at 10:14. 26:2 “Appeared” – note at 12:7. 26:3,4 See 15:18; 17:8; 22:15-18; 26:24; 28:15; 31:3; Gal 3:8. 26:5 “Obeyed” – 12:4; 17:9,23; 18:19; 22:18. Here again is the teaching that obedience brings God’s blessing. 26:7 Like father, like son (Gen 12:13; 20:2,12). 26:9 “I may die” – it is better to lose one’s life than to be a liar. For God hates lying, but loves those who are willing to die rather than sin. Here once more we see that fear may cause men to sin. Note at 18:15. 26:10 Again an outsider has to rebuke one of God’s people (20:9). 26:12-22 God forgave Isaac and gave him blessing. However, though Isaac was prospering materially his days in Gerar were a time of continual strife and difficulties. He is an example to us of a man of peace who would rather move on than fight with his

GENESIS 26:16 40

with earth.

done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace. You are now blessed by the LORD.’”

16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us. For you are much more powerful than we are.”

30 And he made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 And they got up early in the morning, and gave their oath to one another. Then Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

17 And Isaac left there and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and stayed there. 18 And Isaac dug out the wells of water again, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. And he called their names according to the names which his father had given them.

32 And it so happened that the same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 And he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

19 And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20 And the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours”, and so he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 And they dug another well, and quarreled about that one also, and so he called its name Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel about that one, and he gave it the name Rehoboth, saying, ”For now the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

34 And Esau was forty years old when he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a grief of mind to Isaac and to Rebekah.

And it came about that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son,” and he said to him, “See, here I am.”

2 And he said, “Look now, I am old, and I do not know the day of my death. 3 Please take your weapons now, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and get me some venison, 4 and prepare for me the kind of tasty food I love, and bring it to me, so that I can eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

23 And he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and increase the number of your offspring, for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

25 And he built an altar there, and called on the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there. And Isaac’s servants dug a well there.

5 And Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison and bring it. 6 And Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Look, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying, 7 ‘Bring me venison and prepare for me tasty food, so that I may eat, and bless you in the LORD’s presence before my death.’ 8 Therefore, my son, now obey my voice in what I command you. 9 Go now to the flock, and bring me from there two choice young goats, and with them I will prepare for your father the kind of tasty food he loves, 10 and you shall take it to your father, so that he may eat, and so

26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol, the commander of his army, came with him. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hated me and sent me away from you?”

28 And they said, “We saw that the LORD was really with you, and we said, ’Now let there be an oath between us, between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you, so 29 that you will not harm us, just as we have not touched you, and have

neighbors. And he did not take revenge on them (Rom 12:17-19; Heb 12:14). 26:20-22 “Esek” means “dispute.” “Sitnah” means “opposition.” “Rehoboth” means “wide space.” 26:24 “Abraham” – v 5. 26:25 “Altar” – 8:20; 12:7. 26:28 “With you” – 21:22. When it was clear that God was with Isaac it made a profound impression on his enemies and resulted in peace (Prov 16:7). 26:33 “Shebah” means both “oath” and “seven.”

whose center of power was in what is now called Turkey. Many of them had settled in Canaan and the country was once controlled by them (23:3; Num 13:29; 2 Sam 11:3). 27:1-4 Did Isaac understand that God had rejected Esau and chosen Jacob? Or, even having understood, did he decide to put his own will above God’s and give the chief blessing, the blessing of the firstborn, to Esau anyway? We are not told what was in his mind and heart, but it seems he had no intention of blessing Jacob at all. This favoritism had its roots in an unspiritual motive – see 25:28. Isaac had a sinful nature, as all men have. Compare 9:21; 12:13; Rom 3:9-20. 27:5-17 Rebekah determined to get the blessing of Isaac for Jacob (and through Isaac the blessing of God), even though it

“Beersheba” – 21:31. 26:34,35 Esau married women of the land who worshiped idols and gods other than Jehovah the one true God. Isaac did not do for Esau what Abraham had done for him (24:3,4). The Hittites were a powerful people

41 GENESIS 27:33

that he may bless you before his death.”

son Esau?” And he said, “I am.”

11 And Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a man with smooth skin. 12 Perhaps my father will touch me, and then I will seem like a deceiver to him, and I will bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.”

25 And he said, “Bring it near me and I will eat of my son’s venison, so that my soul may bless you.” And he brought it near him, and he ate, and he brought him wine and he drank.

26 And his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”

13 And his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey my voice and go get them for me.”

27 And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the odor of his clothes, and blessed him, and said,

14 And he went and got them and brought them to his mother. And his mother prepared the kind of tasty food that his father loved. 15 And Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth skin of his neck, 17 and she placed the tasty food and the bread, which she had prepared, in the hand of her son Jacob.

“See, the smell of my son

is like the smell of a field

which the Lord has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven,

and of the fatness of the earth, and an abundance of grain and wine. 29 Let people serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and let your mother’s sons

18 And he came to his father and said, “My father”, and he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

bow down to you. Cursed be every one who curses you, and blessed be he who blesses you.”

19 And Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please get up, sit and eat some of my venison, so that your soul may bless me.”

30 And it came about that, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had hardly gone away from the presence of his father Isaac, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 And he too had prepared tasty food, and now he brought it to his father, and said to his father, ”Let my father get up and eat of his son’s venison, so that your soul may bless me.”

20 And Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the LORD your God brought it to me.”

21 And Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, so that I can touch you, my son, to see whether you are really my son Esau or not.”

22 And Jacob went near to Isaac his father. And he touched him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 And he said, “Are you really my

32 And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn Esau.”

33 And Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who? Where is the one who got venison and brought it

meant deceiving her husband. Evidently she regarded God’s promises as something of great value. But she also was guilty of favoritism (25:28). 27:18-26 Jacob too was willing to lie and deceive in order to get God’s blessing. In all this, though both Jacob and his mother sinned, they showed their faith in God’s promises. And faith, even weak faith, is very important in God’s dealings with men (references at 25:34). God rewarded their faith but He punished their deception. Jacob indeed got the blessing but later he himself was deceived and suffered much at the hands of his father-in-law (29:25; 31:7,40,41). And Rebekah no doubt suffered because she was separated from Jacob and may never have seen him again (28:5. After chapter 27 Rebecca no longer appears in Genesis). God hates lying and deception and will certainly punish it (Prov 6:16-19; 12:22; 19:5,9; Gal 6:7; Eph 4:15,25; Col 3:9). It was not only sinful for Jacob to

deceive his father, it was also quite unnecessary. Before Esau and Jacob were born God had already chosen Jacob and said that the elder (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). See 25:23; Rom 9:10-13. God would have fulfilled His word without the scheming and lying of Jacob and his mother. It is never necessary for men to use tricks, lies and deception to get God to fulfill His will toward them. God will do it in His time and way if men will trust Him and leave matters in His hands. Notes at 12:13; Josh 2:5; 1 Sam 27:10; 2 Sam 15:34. 27:20 “Your God” – Jacob does not say, “my God” (see 28:21; 31:54; 35:3). And he was willing to lie in God’s name, which shows how far he had to go to become a spiritual man. 27:27-29 This was the blessing God gave to Abraham in different words (12:1-3), and what the Lord had already told Rebekah in 25:23. 27:31 Verse 4. Was Isaac unable to give a blessing without eating a tasty meal? 27:33 “He will be blessed” – Isaac believed

GENESIS 27:34 42

to me? And I ate all of it before you came, and blessed him. Yes, and he will be blessed.”

obey my voice. Get up and flee to Haran to Laban my brother, 44 and stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury subsides; 45 just until your brother’s anger against you subsides, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be deprived of you both in one day?”

34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a very great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, me too, O my father.”

35 And he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took away your blessing.”

46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these who are of the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

36 And he said, ”Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and, see, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”

37 And Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Look, I have made him your lord, and I have given all his brothers to him for servants, and I have sustained him with corn and wine. And now what will I do for you, my son?”

And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and spoke to him giving him this command: “You shall not take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padan-Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take a wife for yourself from there from among the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 And God Almighty bless you, make you fruitful, and increase your number so that you may become a multitude of people, 4 and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, so that you may inherit the land in which you are a foreigner, which God gave to Abraham.” 5 And Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Padan-Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

38 And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, me too, O my father.” And Esau raised his voice and wept.

39 And his father Isaac answered and said to him,

“See, your dwelling will be

away from the fatness of the earth, and from the dew of heaven from above. 40 And you will live by your sword, and will serve your brother. And it will come about

6 And Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan-Aram to take a wife for himself from there, and that when he blessed him he gave him a command saying, “You shall not take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan,” 7 and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and went to Padan-Aram. 8 When Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac his father, 9 then Esau went to Ishmael, and in addition to the wives he already had, took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

when you grow restless,

that you will break his yoke from off your neck.”

41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42 And these words of her elder son Esau were told to Rebekah, and she sent word and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Look, your brother Esau is consoling himself about you, by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son,

10 And Jacob left Beersheba and went toward

we have changed it. “Neck” – 2 Kings 8:20-22. 27:41 “Kill” – this was a further corruption of a nature already seen to be corrupt (25:34. Compare 4:8). But how great the trouble usually caused by deceit! 27:46 See 26:34,35. This was Rebekah’s way of getting Isaac to send Jacob away out of danger. 28:1 “Blessed him” – Isaac accepted the fact that God had chosen Jacob (28:33).

that he had given God’s blessing to Jacob and that nothing could change it (Heb 11:20; Num 23:19,20). And indeed nothing could. Compare 9:25-27; 49:1. 27:34 Too late Esau thought of what he had lost (25:33,34). Now he could not change his father’s mind. See Heb 12:15-17. 27:36 “Jacob” – 25:26. Esau here angrily describes what the name Jacob means. Jacob both deceived Esau and took his place to get the blessing. 27:39 The land of the Edomites, which was south of the Dead Sea, was rocky and barren.

“Of Canaan” – 10:15-19 – the Canaanites were the inhabitants of the land before Abraham came there. 28:3 “God Almighty” – in Hebrew El-Shaddai – note at 17:1. 28:4 See 12:2,3; 15:18-21. 28:10 Now the story of the Bible narrows

“From the fatness” – the Hebrew may also mean “of the fatness.” 27:40 “Grow restless” – the KJV has “shalt have the dominion”, but this is so unlikely to be the meaning of the Hebrew here that

43 GENESIS 29:8

Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and spent all night there, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place, and put it for his pillow and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and a ladder appeared, set up on the earth and its top reached to heaven, and the angels of God appeared, ascending and descending on it. 13 And the LORD appeared, standing above it and saying, “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land where you are lying to you and to your offspring, 14 and your offspring will be like the dust of the earth in number, and you will spread out to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south, and in you and in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15 And, see, I am with you and will keep you in every place you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you about.”

20 And Jacob make a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I am going, and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to wear, 21 so that I return to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD will be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will become God’s house. And I will surely give you a tenth of all that you give me.”

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 And he looked, and saw a well in the field, and there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for they watered the flocks from that well. And a large stone was on the well’s mouth. 3 All the flocks would be gathered there, and then they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone again in its place on the well’s mouth.

4 And Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” 5 And he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”

16 And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid, and said, “How awe-inspiring is this place! This is nothing else than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

6 And he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And, look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”

18 And Jacob got up early in the morning, took the stone that he had put for his pillow, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Beth-El, but at first the name of that city was called Luz.

7 And he said, “Look, it is still broad day, and not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

8 And they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and until they roll the stone

down to Jacob and his descendants, because the covenant God made with Abraham has been confirmed to Jacob, and it is through his descendants that God had determined to bring His blessings to the world.

Old Testament (12:8; 35:1; Jud 1:22; 1 Kings 12:28; 2 Kings 2:2,3; 17:28; 23:15), mentioned about 70 times. 28:20 Jacob’s faith, though real, was not strong. He puts an “if” when God had not put one. God’s promise was not based on conditions. But Jacob seems to be trying to bargain with God in vs 21,22. In v 15 God said “I am with you, I will watch over you, I will bring you back.” He did not say, “If you are good, and if you give me a tenth, and if you make Bethel a special place, I will be with you.” When faced with God’s promises let us be careful not to think as Jacob did here. But we see in Jacob’s life that God deals lovingly and tenderly with weak believers. Compare Ps 103:13,14; Matt 6:30; 8:26; etc. 28:21 “My God” – he would take Jehovah as his personal God and worship and serve Him – “if.” But we should all believe, worship and serve Jehovah without any “ifs” whatever, simply because He is the one and only true God. 28:22 “Tenth” – 14:20; Lev 27:30; Num 18:21; Deut 14:22; Mal 3:8. A tenth of one’s income was the bare minimum God wanted from His people. But God did not mention it to Jacob as a condition of the fulfillment of His promises. 29:1 “People of the east” – northeast of Canaan. 29:5 “Nahor” – 11:27-29.

“Haran” – 11:31. 28:12 “Dreamed” – notes at 15:12; Num 12:6; Deut 13:1. “Ladder” – see John 1:51. The Lord Jesus Himself is the way God has appointed between earth and heaven – John 14:6; Heb 10:19-22. And He is the one and only Mediator between God and men – 1 Tim 2:5. 28:13 Jacob is fearful and fleeing for his life to another country. God in mercy confirms to him the covenant and promises made to Abraham. 28:14 “Blessed” – 12:23; John 4:22; Isa 2:3; Rom 9:4,5. 28:15 “With you” – references at 21:22. “Keep you” – Num 6:24; 1 Sam 2:9; Ps 121:4,5,7; John 10:28; 17:12,15; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24. 28:16,17 Jacob was right. The true God is awe-inspiring, and wherever He appears is a holy place. And all men should learn to fear Him. Compare Ex 3:4-6; 19:20,21; Deut 28:58; Josh 5:13-15; Ps 33:8; 68:35. 28:18 “Pillar” – this was a memorial pillar, not a thing to worship. He poured oil on it to dedicate the place to the true God. 28:19 Bethel means “house of God.” It became one of the important places in the

GENESIS 29:9 44

from the well’s mouth. Then we will water the sheep.”

brought her to him, and he went in with her. 24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid servant.

9 And while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she tended them. 10 And it came about when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, and that he was Rebekah’s son. And she ran and told her father.

25 And it came about that in the morning, lo and behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”

26 And Laban said, “Giving the younger before the firstborn is not done in our country. 27 Fulfil her bridal week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will give me for still another seven years.”

13 And it came about when Laban heard the news about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, “You really are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.

28 And Jacob did so. He fulfilled her week, and Laban gave him Rachel his daughter also as his wife. 29 And Laban gave his maid servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid. 30 And Jacob went in also to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him still another seven years.

15 And Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative should you then serve me for nothing? Tell me what your wages will be.”

31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived, and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben. For she said, “Surely the LORD has looked on my misery. So now my husband will love me.”

16 And Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah was tender eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and pleasing in appearance. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”

33 And she conceived again, and gave birth to a son, and said, “Because the LORD heard that I was hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than to give her to another man. Stay with me.” 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days, because of the love he had for her.

34 And she conceived again, and gave birth to a son and said, ”Now this time my husband will become united to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.

21 And Jacob said to Laban, “My time is fulfilled. Give me my wife so that I may go to her.”

35 And she conceived again, and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. And she stopped bearing children.

22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came about that in the evening he took Leah his daughter, and

29:12 “Father’s relative” – the KJV has “brother”, but Jacob was Laban’s nephew. This is an illustration that a too literal translation of a Hebrew word or phrase sometimes can be misleading. In Hebrew the words brother, father, son, etc. have a wide range of meaning. 29:15 Laban seemed to be loving and generous, but his true character was something else, as is later revealed. How often men seem to be one thing and later prove to be the opposite. 29:18 It was the custom in those days, in that part of the world, for the men to pay a dowry for brides – the opposite of India’s custom (24:53; Ex 22:16,17; Deut 22:28,29). 29:25 “Deceived” – 25:26; 27:35,36; Gal 6:7; Prov 22:8; Ps 18:25,26. They who deceive others should not be surprised if others deceive them. It is no strange thing for men to be paid back in their own coin. Those who will not live according to the

principle of Matt 7:12 will find many thorns in their paths. 29:27 See 31:41. 29:28 Polygamy was not ordained by God – 2:23,24. 29:31,32 God loves the unloved and unlovable. He sees their loneliness and sorrow and He cares. Leah became the mother of two of the greatest tribes in Israel – Levi and Judah – and one of the ancestors of king David and the Lord Jesus. Reuben means “see, a son!” 29:33 Simeon means “heard” or “hearing.” 29:34 “Now” – evidently, up until this time, Jacob had not shown her the affection she craved. Levi means “joined.” 29:35 Leah does not mention her husband this time. Perhaps she was beginning to accept the fact that he would never really love her, and sought to find her joy in her children, and (who knows?) in God. Judah sounds like the Hebrew word for praise and may mean “praise” or “let Him (God) be praised.”

45 GENESIS 30:27 30

And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I’ll die.”

you have taken my husband? And would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”

2 And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

16 And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come to me, for I have certainly hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.

3 And she said, “See my maid Bilhah, go to her. She will bear a child on my knees, so that I may also have children through her.”

17 And God listened to Leah and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 And Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I have given my maid servant to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.

4 And she gave him Bilhah her maid servant as a wife, and Jacob went to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 And Rachel said, “God has given judgement for me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

19 And Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Leah said, “God has granted me a good gift. Now my husband will stay with me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she called his name Zebulun.

7 And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 And Rachel said, “I have struggled with my sister with great struggles, and I have won.” And she called his name Naphtali.

21 And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 And Leah said, “A troop is coming.” And she called his name Gad.

22 And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived and bore a son and said, ”God has taken away my reproach.” 24 And she called his name Joseph, saying, “The LORD will add to me another son.”

12 And Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” And she called his name Asher.

25 And it came about, when Rachel had given birth to Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so that I may go to my own place and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, and let me go. For you know my service which I have rendered you.”

14 At the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 And she said to her, “Is it a small matter that

27 And Laban said to him, “Please, if I have

30:1 Though some Old Testament people of God had more than one wife at a time this was not God’s instruction to them or to anyone. God’s appointed way was one man, one wife (2:21-24; Matt 19:1-9). In this chapter we will see that multiple wives meant multiple troubles. In verse 1 there is envy, in verse 2 anger, in verses 3,4 carnal thinking, in verse 8 strife, in verses 14-16 ignorant quarreling. Jacob’s example is not good but bad. And the Bible records bad example, not that we might follow it, but that we might avoid it. In the following verses we see again the sad condition of the human heart. All are sinners, all fail in many ways to live up to God’s standards. The Bible tells things as they are, not as we might vainly imagine them to be. People who obtain salvation do so by the grace of God, not by their own supposed goodness. 30:2 See 20:18; Ps 113:9; 127:3. 30:3 Verse 9; 16:2. Again we see the desperation women felt in ancient times to have children and a family. 30:6 Dan means “He judged”, or “He vindicated.” 30:8 Naphtali means “my struggle.” 30:13 “I am happy” – compare 29:32. God enabled her to come from misery to

happiness. God delights to do this. Compare Isa 61:3. Asher means “happy” or “blessed.” 30:14-16 “Mandrakes” – a plant which they mistakenly thought produced fertility in women, if eaten. 30:17 It was God’s grace, not eating mandrakes, that gave another son to Leah. 30:18 “Maid servant” – Leah was altogether mistaken about the reason God gave her another son. Issachar sounds like the Hebrew word for reward. It may mean “man of hire”, or “there is a reward.” 30:20 Leah no longer speaks of her husband loving her (29:32,34). But she did not give up hope that he would at least show her some respect. Zebulun may mean “dwelling” or “honor” or “exalted.” 30:21 Dinah means “judgment.” 30:22 See 8:1. 30:23 “Reproach” – she considered it a disgrace not to have children – compare 1 Sam 1:2,7; Luke 1:25. But of course it was not. It was simply God’s will for her until God later decided to give her children. God’s will for us is never a reproach if we believe Him and serve Him (Rom 12:1,2). 30:24 Joseph means “increase”, or “may He add.” Compare Prov 30:15,16. 30:27 “On your account” – 21:22; 26:24;

GENESIS 30:28 46

found favour in your eyes, stay here. I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me on your account.” 28 And he said, “Tell me your wages, and I will pay them.”

in the flock of Laban. And he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them among the flocks belonging to Laban. 41 And it came about that whenever the stronger ones of the flock mated, Jacob placed the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the water channels, so that they might mate near the rods. 42 But he did not place the rods there if the animals in the flock were weak. So the weaker ones were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 And the man greatly increased in wealth, and had many flocks, female servants, male servants, camels and donkeys.

29 And he said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your cattle was with me. 30 For you had little before I came, and it is now increased enormously. And the LORD has blessed you since my coming. But now when shall I provide for my own house also?”

31 And he said, “What shall I give you?” And Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flock: 32 I will go through your whole flock today, removing from it all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the dark-coloured ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and these will be my wages. 33 So my righteousness will testify for me in the coming days, when you come concerning my wages: among the goats every one with me that is not speckled and spotted, and dark-coloured among the lambs, that will be counted as stolen.”

And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father, and he has gained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.” 2 And Jacob looked at the face of Laban, and now it was not friendly toward him as before.

3 And the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, 5 and he said to them, “I see from your father’s face that he is not friendly toward me as before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that I have served your father with all my strength. 7 And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said: ‘The speckled ones will be your wages’, then all the flocks bore speckled ones; and if he said: ‘The streaked ones will be your wages’, then all the animals in the flock bore streaked ones. 9 So God has taken away the flocks of your father and given them to me.

34 And Laban said, “Right. Let it be according to your word.” 35 And that very day he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the dark-coloured ones among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 And he put a three-days journey between himself and Jacob. And Jacob tended the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar, almond and plane trees, and peeled them in white strips, making the white in the rods appear. 38 And he set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the channels in the watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink. And they mated when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks mated in front of the rods and they bore streaked, speckled and spotted young. 40 And Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward all the streaked and dark-coloured ones

10 “And it so happened at the mating season of the flock that in a dream I raised my eyes and saw that the rams which were mating were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 11 And the angel of God said to me in the dream, ’Jacob’, and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And he said, ‘Raise your eyes and look. All the rams which mate with the flock are streaked,

31:3 “With you” – 28:15. 31:5 Verse 42; 30:30. Jacob acknowledges that God has been with him, but still does not say “my God” (27:20). 31:7 “Ten times” – it seems that Laban had deceived and cheated Jacob more times than the two recorded instances.

39:3,4; Isa 61:9. 30:35,36 Jacob deceived his brother and his father; his father-in-law deceived him. If he could have managed it he would not have left Jacob a single sheep or goat as his own. 30:37-43 Jacob thought he knew a few tricks himself. Actually the rods placed before the mating sheep and goats had absolutely nothing to do with the kind of offspring they produced. The reason why more striped, speckled and spotted offspring were produced is given in 31:11,12. It was God’s grace working through natural processes and not Jacob’s tricks that made the difference.

“Harm me” – compare 50:20; Num 23:8; Job 1:10; Ps 105:15; 115:9; Heb 13:6; 1 Pet 3:13. No one can harm the child of God unless God permits it. And if God permits it, it will be for his good. Read and believe Rom 8:28. 31:9 Jacob acknowledges that it was God who did this and not his tricks – 30:37-43. 31:10,11 “Dream” – v 24. Notes on dreams

47 GENESIS 31:37

speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now get up and go away from this land, and return to the land of your relatives.’”

daughters like captives taken by the sword? 27 Why did you run away secretly and deceive me? You did not tell me so that I could send you away with joy and with songs, with tambourines and with harp. 28 And you have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters. You have now acted foolishly in doing so. 29 It is in the power of my hand to harm you, but the God of your father spoke to me yesterday night, saying, ‘Watch out that you do not say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have certainly gone away, because you were longing for your father’s house. Still, why have you stolen my gods?”

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any share or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and also has entirely eaten up our money. 16 For all the riches which God has taken from our father is ours, and our children’s. Now then, do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob rose up, and put his sons and his wives on camels, 18 and took away all his livestock, and all his goods which he had accumulated, his acquired livestock which he had accumulated in Padan-Aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “I was afraid, because I said, ’Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 Whoever you find your gods with, let him not live. In the presence of our relatives see anything that is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

19 And Laban went to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, by not telling him that he was running away. 21 So he fled with all that he had. And he got up and crossed over the river, and set his face toward Mount Gilead.

33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tents of the two maid servants, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and had sat down on them. And Laban searched the whole tent but did not find them.

22 And on the third day Laban was told that Jacob had run away. 23 And he took his brothers with him, and pursued him a seven-days’ journey, and they caught up to him in Mount Gilead. 24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream at night, and said to him, “Watch out that you do not say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

35 And she said to her father, “Do not be angry, my lord, because I cannot rise in your presence, for the way it gets with women is now with me.” And he searched, but did not find the idols.

25 Then Laban caught up to Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain. And Laban, with his brothers, also pitched on the mountain of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done by deceiving me, and carrying away my

36 And Jacob became angry and contended with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my crime, what is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37 Now that you have searched all my things, what have you found of all

at 15:12; Num 12:6; Deut 13:1. 31:13 “I am the God” – here the angel of God (v 11) says He is God.

“Gilead” – territory bordering on Canaan to the east. 31:24 “Dream” – v 11. 31:26,27 Why should people who deceive others be surprised when others deceive them? Note at 29:25. 31:29 “Harm” – in this Laban was mistaken. Note at v 7. Compare John 19:10,11. 31:30 Verse 19; Josh 24:2. Of what value are gods which can be stolen? Jud 6:30,31; Ps 115:3-8; Isa 42:17; 44:12-20. 31:31 “Afraid” – Jacob had learned enough of Laban’s deceitful nature to be afraid of what he might do. He should have been afraid of his own nature also. We should be more afraid of the defects in our own characters than those in other people. 31:35 Rachel also did not mind practicing deceit. It seemed that none of them realized that families and peoples who practice lying and deceiving will experience all kinds of troubles and difficulties. 31:37 “Family members” – KJV has “brothers”, but here the Hebrew word obviously means

“Angel of God” – note at 16:7. “Bethel” – 28:19. 31:15 See 29:20,23,27. 31:19 Though Laban knew of the one true God (v 53), and knew that it was He who had blessed them (30:27), he still foolishly kept idols in his house and called them his gods (v 30). Sadder still is the fact that Rachel wanted them so badly she was willing to steal them. Had Jacob been so busy gaining wealth that he had not taken time to instruct his beloved wife in the truth of God? Would he have even desired to do so (compare 35:2)? We cannot be sure. Sometimes people reject instruction even when it is given. Perhaps Jacob told Rachel the truth about God and idols and she did not believe it. 31:20 “Deceived” – 25:26; 27:35,36; Jer 13:23; 17:9. 31:21 “River” – Euphrates river.

GENESIS 31:38 48

your household things? Put it here before my family members and your family members, so that they may judge between the two of us.

47 And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 And Laban said, “Today this heap is a witness between me and you.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 and Mizpah. For he said, “The LORD watch between me and you, while we are absent from one another. 50 If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, even though no man is with us, see, God is a witness between me and you.”

38 “These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 I did not bring to you those which were torn by beasts; I bore the loss of it. You demanded from me what was stolen either by day or by night. 40 This is how I was: in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost at night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 Now I have been in your house for twenty years. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your livestock, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you would now have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my misery and the labour of my hands, and rebuked you yesterday night.”

51 And Laban said to Jacob, “Look at this heap and look at this pillar, which I have set up between me and you. 52 May this heap be a witness, and this pillar be a witness, that I will not cross over this heap to you, and that you will not cross over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” And Jacob gave an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his relatives to eat a meal. And they ate the meal, and spent all night on the mountain.

43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about their children whom they have borne? 44 So now come on, let us make a covenant, I and you, and let it be as a witness between me and you.”

55 And early in the morning Laban got up, and kissed his grandsons and his daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned to his place.

And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s host”, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

45 And Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather some stones”, and they took stones and made a heap. And they ate there by the heap of stones.

3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, the country of

“relatives” or “family members.” See note at 29:12. 31:41 “Ten times” – v 7. 31:42 “Fear of Isaac” – this means the God whom Isaac feared – the true God. 31:44 See 21:27,32; 26:28; Josh 24;27. 31:45 “Pillar” – 28:18. 31:47 Both Jegar Sahadutha and Galeed mean “witness heap.” 31:49 Mizpah means “watchtower.” 31:50 “God is a witness” – Jud 11:10; Ps 139:3,7-12; Jer 42:5; Micah 1:2; Mal 2:14; 3:5; 1 Thess 2:10; Heb 4:13. 31:53 If Laban had the one true God he had no need for household gods (v 30). But he, like Jacob, spoke of God as being someone else’s God, not his own. Happy are those who can truly claim God as their own (Ps 3:7; 5:2; 7:1; 23:1; Dan 9:19; John 20:28; Phil 4:19). 31:54 “Sacrifice” – for the first time we read of Jacob offering a sacrifice to God. It seems it took Jacob a long time to understand and practice certain basic matters related to a walk with God. His sacrifice here may be in fulfillment of his vow to take Jehovah as his God, if Jehovah did as He said He would do (28:21).

together. This is one of the ways the Hebrews expressed that. Here we have another illustration of the truth that a too literal translation may be misleading. 31:55 “Kissed his grandsons” – KJV has “sons” here, but Laban had no sons there. He kissed the children of his daughters. In Hebrew words like “son” or “brother” have a much wider range of meaning than they do in English.

So Jacob parts from Laban after 20 years. He has gotten four wives, twelve children (Benjamin was born later) and great flocks. In spite of many troubles and afflictions, failings and faults, he continued to believe in God. God did not approve of many of his actions but was merciful to him and brought him safely back to his own land, as He had promised in 28:15. God proved Himself again to be a faithful, loving God. See Ex 34:6,7; Ps 86:15; 103:8-14; 108:4; 145:8; Joel 2:12,13; Micah 7:18-20; Rom 2:4. 32:1 “Angels” – 16:7; 2 Kings 6:15-17; Ps 34:7; 91:11; Heb 1:13,14. 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps or companies. Jacob received assurance that God’s hosts were camped with his camp. 32:3 “Esau” – Jacob feared that Esau would seek revenge for stealing his blessing and

“Eat a meal” – literally, “eat bread”, but the meaning is that they ate a meal

49 GENESIS 32:27

Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, “Speak to my master Esau like this: ‘Your servant Jacob says this, I have been staying with Laban, and remained there until now. 5 And I have oxen and donkeys, flocks, and male servants, and female servants. Now I have sent men to tell my master this, so that I may find favour in your sight.”

their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten foals. 16 And he put them in the hands of his servants, each drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Go on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.”

17 And he commanded the one in the front, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you, and speaks and asks, ‘To whom do you belong?’, and, ‘Where are you going?’ and, ‘Who owns these herds in front of you?’ 18 Then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. It is a present sent to my master Esau. And look, he is also behind us.’”

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We went to your brother Esau, and he is also coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.”

7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. And he divided the people with him, and the flocks, herds and camels, into two groups, 8 and said, ”If Esau comes to the one group and attacks it, then the group which is left will escape.”

19 And he gave the same command to the second, and to the third, and to all who followed the droves, saying, “This is the way you must speak to Esau when you meet him. 20 And say also, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and when I see his face, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So the present went on before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will prosper you’, 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the faithfulness which you have showed to your servant. For with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two groups. 11 Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, the hand of Esau, for I am afraid that he will come and attack me, and the mother with the children. 12 And you said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which is so much that it cannot be numbered.’”

22 And he got up that night, and took his two wives, and his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford Jabbok. 23 After he took them and brought them over the brook, he sent over his possessions. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 And when he saw that he was not overpowering Jacob, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh became out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” And Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

13 And he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams, 15 thirty camels giving milk, together with

27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”

birthright – vs 7,8; 27:36,41,42.

32:24 “Man” – an angel in the form of a man – the Messenger of the Lord, the Son of God Himself (vs 28,30; Hos 12:3-5). Note at 16:7.

“Edom” – 25:30. The country of Edom was south of the Dead Sea, far from where Jacob then was. 32:4 Notice how he calls Esau “master” and himself “servant”, showing his willingness to submit to Esau (at least in word) for the sake of peace. 32:9 “Return” – 31:3. 32:10-12 Jacob is conscious of his sins and errors and realizes to some extent that his safety and prosperity depend on the grace of God. He does not plead his own goodness but the promises and faithfulness of God who had promised him good things – 28:13-15. Now Jacob does not try to bargain with God as he did then. Surely this was a spiritual step upward. 32:13-21 Even after looking to God for safety he made his own plans to pacify Esau. Did he think God might fail him? Compare him with a man of more faith in God’s protection – Ezra 8:21-23. 32:22 “Jabbok” – a stream that flows from the east into the Jordan some 30 kilometers north of the Dead Sea.

“Daybreak” – this wrestling was surely more than physical. Jacob could not have wrestled physically for a whole night. Anyway the angel had more important matters in mind – matters of the spirit, mind, and will of Jacob. 32:25 “Was not overpowering” – was this mighty angel unable to overcome a man? See Isa 37:36. The body he could easily overcome. It was Jacob’s will and nature that would not be overpowered. With his thigh out of joint Jacob could wrestle no more, but only cling to the Messenger with profound determination. Then he prevailed. Compare Luke 11:5-10; 18:1. 32:26 “Let me go” – could not God leave a man if He wished? But the Omnipotent One was willingly held fast by determined faith. Compare Ex 32:10; Luke 24:28,29.

“Bless me” – did Jacob fully realize who it was he held in his arms? 32:27 For blessing to come to Jacob now he

GENESIS 32:28 50

28 And he said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince you have power with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

they and their children, and they bowed down. 7 And Leah also, with her children came near, and bowed down. And after them Joseph and Rachel came near and they bowed down.

29 And Jacob asked him, saying, “Please tell me your name.” And he said, “Why is it that you are asking about my name?” And he blessed him there.

8 And he said, “What do you mean by this whole drove that I met?” And he said, “Those are to find favour in the sight of my master.”

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, ”For I saw God face to face, and my life was preserved.”

9 And Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

31 And as he passed by Peniel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his thigh. 32 Therefore, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat the sinew which shrank, which is on the hollow of the thigh; because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh on the sinew that shrank.

10 And Jacob said, “Please, no. If I have now found favour in your sight, then receive my present from my hand. For I see your face, as though seeing the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and so I have enough.” And he urged him, and he accepted it.

And Jacob raised his eyes, and looked, and, there came Esau, and with him four hundred men. And Jacob divided the children between Leah and Rachel and the two maid servants. 2 And he put the maid servants and their children in the front, and Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 And he went on ahead of them, and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

12 And Esau said, “Let us set out on our journey, and move on, and I will go ahead of you.”

13 And he said to him, “My master knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me. If they drive them too hard one day, the whole flock will die. 14 Please let my master go on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, as much as the livestock going in front of me and the children are able to bear, until I come to my master in Seir.”

4 And Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him. And they wept. 5 And Esau raised his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”

15 And Esau said, “Then let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” And he said, “What is the need? Let me find favour in the sight of my master.”

6 Then the maid servants approached Esau,

16 So Esau went back that day on his way to

had to face himself and acknowledge what he was (25:26; 27:36). “Name” meant his nature and character. 32:28 “Jacob” – that night God was able to make a deep change in him. Jacob was not free of his sinful nature until death, but his dependence on deceitful tricks, his confidence in himself were shattered. It is true that Jacob overcame that night, but so did the angel. In that wrestling match both parties won.

John 1:18; 1 Tim 6:15,16. 32:31 The limp was a constant reminder of his own weakness and God’s grace. Something similar is seen in 2 Cor 12:7-10. Really meeting God can never leave men the same as they were. 33:2 “Last” – to keep those he loved the best in the safest position (29:30; 37:3). 33:3 “Seven times” – a picture of humility and total submission to Esau. 33:4 “Kissed him” – compare Prov 16:7. While God had been working with and in Jacob He had also been at work in Esau. God was answering Jacob’s prayer of 32:11. God can turn even the hearts of kings the way He wishes – Prov 21:1. 33:9 Esau showed more kindness and generosity to Jacob than Jacob had to him (25:29-33; 27:36) This does not necessarily mean that Esau had by faith taken the one true God as his God. 33:14-18 Jacob had no intention of going to Seir (Edom) where Esau lived. This whole passage shows that he was still uneasy about Esau. It shows too that Israel had not completely lost his Jacob nature overnight. Succoth was a long way from Seir and in a different direction. And Shechem was straight west in Canaan and not south toward Seir. “Succoth” – this means “shelters.”

“Israel” – means literally “he strives with God”, or possibly, “a prince with God.”

“Have prevailed” – compare Matt 11:12. God wants us to deeply desire Him, and earnestly seek Him and His blessings and His kingdom (2 Chron 15:4,15; Ps 42:1,2; Jer 29:12,13; Matt 6:33; Rom 2:6,7; Heb 4:11). We will have them when we have the same faith in God and determination Jacob had, and when we face ourselves and our sinfulness as he did. 32:29 “Name” – Jud 13:17,18; Isa 9:6. “Blessed him” – Jacob received exactly what he wanted (v 26). Compare Matt 7:9-12. 32:30 Peniel means “God’s face.” See also 16:13; Jud 6:22,23; 13:22. They saw God in angelic or human form, not in His glorious spirit nature – 2:19; Ex 33:18-23;

51 GENESIS 34:28

Seir. 17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth and built a house for himself, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. 18 And after coming from Padan-Aram, Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought a part of the field where he had spread his tent, from the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. 20 And he erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.

and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spoke this way because he had defiled Dinah their sister, 14 saying to them, “Giving our sister to someone who is not circumcised is a thing we cannot do; for that would be a disgrace to us. 15 But on this condition we will give consent to you: if you will become like us and every male of you becomes circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for us, and we will live with you, and we will become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us to become circumcised, then we will take our daughter and we will be gone.”

And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of that region, saw her, he took her, lay with her and defiled her. 3 And his soul was united to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke kindly to the girl. 4 And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”

18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Hamor’s son Shechem. 19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. And he was the most honoured of all the house of his father. 20 And Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying, 21 “These men are friendly with us. Therefore let them live in the land, and trade in it. For, see, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters for ourselves as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 But only on this condition will the men consent to live with us, to be one people: if every male among us becomes circumcised, just as they are circumcised. 23 But will not their cattle and their goods and every animal of theirs become ours? Only let us give consent to them, and they will live with us.”

5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field, and Jacob kept silent until they had come.

6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him. 7 And when they heard this, the sons of Jacob came from the field, and the men were sad and very angry, because in lying with Jacob’s daughter he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel, a thing which ought not to be done.

8 And Hamor talked with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9 And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 And you will live with us, and the land will be before you. Live and do business in it, and get possessions for yourselves in it.”

24 And everyone who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 And it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, and came on the city boldly, and killed all the males. 26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and left. 27 Then the sons of Jacob came on the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, and

11 And Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “ Let me find favour in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me any amount of dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me. But give me the girl as my wife.”

13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem

33:20 “Altar” – 8:20; 12:7,8; 13:18; 22:9. El Elohe Israel means “God, the God of Israel” or, possibly, “Mighty is the God of Israel.” Previously Jacob had spoken of “the God of my father” and “the God of Abraham” (31:5,42; 32:9). Now Jacob speaks of Him as his own God and so fulfills the vow he made in 28:1. 34:1 See 30:21. 34:2 The Hivites were a people who were in the land of Canaan before Abraham arrived there. Besides Shechem they lived in Gibeon (Joshua chapter 9), and near mount Hermon (Josh 11:3).

34:10 “Do business in it”– or “move about freely in it.” 34:13 Did they learn how to use deceit by watching their father? We do not know, but we do know that bad example has great power for evil. And deceitfulness is easily learned because of the deceitful nature of men’s hearts – Jer 17:9; Ps 58:3. 34:14 “Circumcised” – 17:9-14. 34:20 The main gate of towns and cities is the place where the elders and leaders came together to discuss and decide issues (19:1; Ruth 4:1). 34:25-29 See 49:5-7.

GENESIS 34:29 52

whatever was in the city, and whatever was in the field, 29 and they carried off all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives, and looted everything that was in the houses.

was buried below Bethel under an oak. Its name was called Allon Bachuth. 9 And God appeared to Jacob again after he came out of Padan Aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name will not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel will be your name.” And he called his name Israel.

30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, making me stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And since I have few in number, they will gather themselves together against me, and kill me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household.”

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and increase in number. A people and a group of peoples will come from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you. And I will give the land to your descendants after you.” 13 And God went up from him in the place where he had talked with him.

31 And they said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?”

And God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of your brother Esau.”

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had talked with him, a pillar of stone. And he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.

2 Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your clothes, 3 and let us arise and go up to Bethel. And there I will make an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way that I went.” 4 And they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had, and all the earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem. 5 And they journeyed, and the terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

16 And they journeyed from Bethel, and, with still a short distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had severe labour pains. 17 And it came about, when she was having severe labour pains, that the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid. You will have this son also.” 18 And it happened that as her soul was leaving her body (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni, but his father called him Benjamin.

19 And Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. To this day that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave.

6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people with him. 7 And there he built an altar, and called the place El Bethel, because there God had appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.

21 And Israel journeyed on, and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Edar. 22 And when Israel was living in that region, it so happened that Reuben went and lay with his father’s concubine

8 But Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she

35:1 See 27:43; 28:13,19. 35:2 See 31:19,30,34. Is it only now that Jacob tells them to put those gods away? Long before he should have insisted that his family forsake false gods and idols and serve the only true God. Compare Josh 24:15,23; Ps 16:4. 35:3 “Altar to God” – more and more Jacob was thinking of God as his God. He had found that God is a faithful and loving God who answers prayer. Compare Ps 34:4,6,17; 107:6; 116:1,2; etc. 35:4 “Earrings” – possibly these had been worn as magic amulets. Otherwise, why bury them under the oak? Did they not understand that such things have no power whatever to protect from evil? Later the Bible makes it abundantly clear that anyone who wants to serve the one true God must part with all gods, idols, and magic. 35:5 “Terror of God” – God protected them by creating fear in the hearts of the Canaanites. Compare Ex 15:16; 23:27; Deut 2:25.

35:7 See 28:11-22. Jacob fulfills his vow. And he had taken another step forward in spiritual understanding and devotion to God. In chapter 28 it seems he was more occupied in his thoughts with the place Bethel. Here he is more occupied with the God who had come to him at Bethel. El-Bethel means “the God of Bethel.” 35:8 “Allon-Bacuth” means “oak of weeping.” 35:9,10 See 25:26; 32:28. 35:11,12 “God Almighty” – in Hebrew ElShaddai (see 17:1). Concerning the promise here see 17:3-8. The covenant God made with Abraham was confirmed to Jacob. 35:14 “Oil on it” – see note at 28:18. 35:15 Bethel means “house of God.” 35:16-18 Ben-oni means “Son of my sorrow” or “Son of my trouble.” Benjamin means “Son of the right hand.” 35:22 See 49:3,4. Because of this sin, though he was the firstborn, he was passed over and his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph (9:3,4; 1 Chron 5:1; Num 32:23).

53 GENESIS 36:31

Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now there were twelve sons of Jacob.

These were the sons of Esau’s wife Adah.

13 And these were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Esau’s wife Bashemath.

23 The sons of Leah were Jacob’s firstborn Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

14 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.

24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali.

15 These were the chiefs among the offspring of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Korah, chief Gatam, and chief Amalek. These were the chiefs who came from Eliphaz in the land of Edom, these were the sons of Adah.

26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher.

These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan-Aram.

27 And Jacob came to Mamre to his father Isaac, to the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac stayed for a time. 28 And Isaac’s time on earth was a hundred and eighty years. 29 And Isaac expired. He died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

17 And these were the sons of Reuel Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs that came from Reuel in the land of Edom, these were the sons of Esau’s wife Bashemath.

18 And these were the sons of Esau’s wife Aholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jaalam, chief Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.

Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. 2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Bashemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebajoth.

19 These were the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these were their chiefs.

20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who lived in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.

4 And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Bashemath bore Reuel, 5 and Aholibamah bore Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

22 And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. And Lotan’s sister was Timna.

23 And the children of Shobal were these: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the people of his house, and his cattle, and all his animals, and all his goods which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went into a land away from the presence of his brother Jacob. 7 For their possessions were too many for them to live together, and the land where they were foreigners could not sustain them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau lived in mount Seir. Esau is Edom.

24 And these were the children of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah. This was that Anah who found the mules in the wilderness, as he tended the donkeys of his father Zibeon.

25 And the children of Anah were these: Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.

26 And these were the children of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

27 The children of Ezer were these: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir;

28 The children of Dishan were these: Uz and Aran.

10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.

29 These were the chiefs that came from the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These were the chiefs who came from Hori, among their chiefs in the land of Seir.

11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.

12 And Timna was Esau’s son Eliphaz had a concubine, Timna, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.

31 And these were the kings that reigned in the

35:29 This was 43 years after the event of 27:4. 36:1 See 25:25,30. 36:2,3 Note on polygamy at 30:1. 36:8 “Seir” – an area south of the Dead Sea. 36:12 “Amalek” – Ex 17:8-16; Num 24:20;

Deut 25:17-19; 1 Sam 15:2,3. 36:15 “Teman” – Job 2:11. 36:20 See 14:6. The Horites were a people living in the area before Abraham came from Ur of Chaldea. 36:28 “Uz” – Job 1:1. 36:31 “King” – 1 Sam 8:4,5. This verse could

GENESIS 36:32 54

land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel. 32 And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

father’s wives, and Joseph brought to his father a bad report about them.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his children, because he was the son of his old age. And he made a coat of many colours for him. 4 And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

33 And Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his place.

34 And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his place.

35 And Husham died, and Hadad, the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith.

5 And Joseph had a dream and told it his brothers, and they hated him still more. 6 And he said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I had. 7 For, see, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo and behold, my sheaf rose and also stood upright, and, see, your sheaves stood around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

36 And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.

37 And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his place.

8 And his brothers said to him, “Will you really rule us! Will you lord it over us!” And they hated him still more because of his dreams, and because of his words.

38 And Saul died, and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.

39 And Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

9 And he had still another dream, and told it his brothers, and said, “See, I have had another dream. And, lo and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

40 And these are the names of the chiefs descended from Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: chief Timnah, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Aholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land of their possession. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.

10 And he told it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream you have had! Will I and your mother and your brothers really come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the thing in mind.

12 And his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the flock in Shechem, aren’t they? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.”

And Jacob lived in the land where his father had been a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

14 And he said to him, “Please go and see whether it is going well with your brothers, and well with the flocks, and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him, when he appeared wandering in the field, and the man asked

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. The boy was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his

possibly be translated “These were the kings who reigned in Edom before an Israelite king reigned over them.” 37:2 “Joseph” – he is the center of the rest of the book of Genesis (except for chapters 38 and 49). Through him blessing came to the people of Israel and to other nations. In this respect he is a type or picture of Christ.

27:4; Matt 27:18. Envy comes out of man’s sinful nature and often leads to further sin. 37:5 “Dream” – notes at 15:12; Num 12:6; Deut 13:1. “Told it” – Joseph may not have shown much wisdom in this, but, then, he was only seventeen. 37:7,8 See the fulfillment in 42:6,9; 43:26; 44:14; 49:26; Deut 33:16. Through Joseph’s dreams God was revealing the truth. 37:10 As far as we know Jacob never bowed down to Joseph, but Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt and so the ruler over Jacob and his family after they came there. 37:11 Acts 7:9. “Mind” – Luke 2:19,51. 37:12 “Shechem” – Jacob owned land there – 33:18,19. 37:14 “Hebron” – the straight distance from Hebron to Shechem was about 80 kilometers.

“Bad report” – judging from what we know of both Joseph and his brothers as seen in the rest of their history, this bad report would surely have been true and accurate. 37:3 “Of many colours” – the meaning of the Hebrew word here is uncertain (also vs 23,32). “For him” – showing such favoritism was surely not wise (it never is), and it brought great trouble to Joseph. 37:4 “To him” – see v 11; Prov 14:30;

55 GENESIS 37:36

him, saying, “What are you looking for?”

gain by killing our brother, and concealing his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let our hand not be on him; for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.

16 And he said, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks.”

17 And the man said, “They left here; for I heard them say, ’Let’s go to Dothan.” And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan. 18 And when they saw him at a distance, and before he came near them, they plotted against him to kill him.

28 Then some Midianites, merchants, were passing by. And they pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

29 And Reuben returned to the pit, and, lo and behold, Joseph was not in the pit. And he tore his clothes. 30 And he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there. And I, where am I to go!”

19 And they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming. 20 So come on now, let’s kill him, and throw him into some pit, and we will say, ’Some savage beast has eaten him.’ And we shall see what becomes of his dreams.”

31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed one of the young goats, and dipped the coat in the blood, 32 and they sent the coat of many colours, and had it brought to their father, saying, “We have found this. Examine it now and see whether it is your son’s coat or not.” 33 And he examined it and said, “It is my son’s coat! A savage beast has devoured him! Without doubt Joseph has been torn in pieces!”

21 And Reuben heard it, and he saved him from their hands by saying, ”Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, ”Do not shed blood. Throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him.” He said this so that he might rescue him from their hands, and take him back to his father again.

23 And it came about when Joseph came to his brothers that they stripped Joseph of his coat, his coat of many colours that he had on. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

34 And Jacob tore his clothes, and put on a loincloth of sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “For I will go down to the grave to my son still mourning.” So his father wept for him.

25 And they sat down to eat bread. And they raised their eyes and looked, and, a group of Ishmaelites appeared, coming from Gilead with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going along carrying them down to Egypt.

36 And the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, and captain of the guard.

26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What do we

37:17 Dothan was about 20 kilometers north of Shechem. 37:18 “Kill him” – compare Ps 31:13,14; 37:12,32; Mark 14:1; John 11:53. We see already what the people of Israel were like. Their later history was similar until at last they were responsible for the death of the Son of God. But we should not think that we, by nature, are any better than they – Rom 3:9,19,23. 37:19 “Dreamer” – spoken sarcastically in hatred. 37:21,22 See 42:22. Reuben was the oldest of the sons of Jacob and felt responsible for Joseph – vs 29,30. 37:25 “Ishmaelites” – 16:11,12. 37:27 “Flesh” – did they imagine that selling their brother into slavery instead of killing him showed brotherly love?! 37:28 These merchants are called Ishmaelites in vs 25,28 and 39:1, and Midianites in vs 28,36. Either there was a mixture of these two clans in this group or they were all Ishmaelites who lived in the land of Midian and so were both Ishmaelites and Midianites. Both of these peoples were descended from Abraham, and so closely related.

amount was a little more than 230 grams – no great sum as payment for the greatest man of his generation. Compare Zech 11:13; Matt 26:15. 37:29 “Clothes” – v 34; 44:13 – in those days the tearing of garments was a sign of grief or shock. 37:31,32 Jacob began his career by deceiving his father. Now he reaped again what he sowed (Gal 6:7), being deceived by his sons. This deception also involved a goat – compare 27:6-19. 37:35 “Grave” – in Hebrew “Sheol.” This is the first use of the word in the Old Testament. It meant the place to which the dead go and included both the grave and the unseen world where the souls of men went after death. Perhaps a better translation would be “the realm of the dead.” See also note at Luke 16:23. In Old Testament days Sheol was usually regarded as a place of sorrow (2 Sam 22:6; Ps 9:17; 18:5; 116:3; Isa 14:9-17; Ezek 32:21). The Old Testament does not have much to say about the condition of those who have died, whether believers or unbelievers. The New Testament has far more on the subject. Life and immortality were brought to light through Jesus Christ (2 Tim 1:10).

“Twenty pieces of silver” – this total

GENESIS 38:1 56 38

And it came about at that time that Judah left his brothers and went down and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah. And he took her and went in with her. 3 And she conceived and bore a son. And he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again and bore a son. And she called his name Onan. 5 And she once again conceived and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

she had not been given to him as his wife.

15 When Judah saw her he thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. 16 And he turned to her at the roadside, and said, ”Go on now and let me come in with you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me to come in with me?” 17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it ?”

18 And he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your seal and your cord and your staff that’s in your hand.” And he gave them to her, and went in with her. And she conceived by him. 19 And she got up and went away, and put aside her veil, and put on widow’s clothes.

6 And Judah got a wife for Er his firstborn. Her name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death.

8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. And it came about that when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD, so he killed him also.

20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to get his pledge from the woman’s hand. But he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the prostitute who was by the roadside?” And they said, “There wasn’t any prostitute in this place.”

22 And he returned to Judah and said, “I can’t find her. Also the men of the place said that there had been no prostitute in that place.”

11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-inlaw, “Remain a widow at your father’s house, until Shelah my son has grown up.” For he said, “Perhaps he may die also, like his brothers.” And Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

23 And Judah said, “Let her take it with her, so we won’t be put to shame. See, I sent this young goat and you didn’t find her.”

12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah, Judah’s wife, died. And Judah was comforted and went up to Timnath to those shearing his sheep, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

24 And about three months after this it came about that Judah was told, saying, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has acted like a prostitute, and look, she is pregnant because of her prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned!”

13 And Tamar was told, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnath to shear his sheep.” 14 And she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat in an open place which was by the Timnath road. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and

25 When she was brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant by the man who owns these.” And she said, “Please look at them and see who these belong to: the

38:1 “Judah” – there is a great contrast between this chapter and the next. The two chapters taken together show the greatness of Joseph’s character compared with Judah’s. Judah fell into the sins of the Canaanites. But in Egypt, alone and friendless, Joseph remained pure.

must have been considered binding. 38:9 “His” – any offspring would have had his brother’s name, and been counted as his brother’s. Compare Ruth 4:5,6.

“Ground” – Onan used this means of birth control from a wrong motive. Within the marriage relationship birth control itself is not sinful. Nowhere in the Bible is there a command not to practice it or any suggestion that it is wrong. It was Onan’s bad motive that so displeased God (v 10). 38:11 “Grown up” – compare Ruth 1:11-13. 38:14 “Wife” – she saw that Judah was deceiving her and she had no hope of another marriage. So she took the following way to have a child. 38:24 Judah did not condemn himself for his own sin (vs 15,16), but was quick to condemn Tamar. In other words, he behaved as the general lot of human beings do. See 3:12,13; Rom 2:1,21-23. If she deserved death, so did he (see Lev 20:10; 21:9;

“Adullam” – a town in the southern part of Canaan. 38:7 “Death” – the form of the Hebrew verb here does not necessarily mean God killed Onan Himself, but suggests that God brought about his death using some means or other. If God purposes that someone die He has all sorts of means which He can use to see that it happens. 38:8 “Brother” – in those days it was the duty of the brother of the deceased husband to marry his widow. At the time of Moses this became the law for the nation Israel (Deut 25:5,6; Ruth 4:5; Matt 22:24). But even before Moses this rule

57 GENESIS 39:18

seal and cord, and staff.” 26 And Judah recognized them and said, “She has been more righteous than I; because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.

ate. And Joseph was handsome in form and in appearance.

7 And after these things, it came about that his master’s wife cast her eyes at Joseph, and said, “Lie down with me.”

27 And at the time she gave birth, it so happened that twins were in her womb. 28 And as she was giving birth it came about that one put out his hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 And when he drew back his hand it so happened that suddenly his brother came out. And she said, ”How you have made a breach for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 And afterwards his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, came out, and his name was called Zerah.

8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master doesn’t know what is in the house, and he has entrusted everything he has into my hands. 9 No one is greater in this house than I. He has not kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great evil and sin against God?” 10 And it came about that she spoke to Joseph day after day, but he did not listen to her to lie down with her or to be with her.

11 And about this time it so happened that Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was there inside. 12 And she caught him by his cloak, saying, “Lie down with me.” But he left his cloak in her hand, ran and got out.

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hands of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there.

2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a man who brought prosperity, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD caused everything he had in his hands to prosper. 4 And Joseph found favour in his sight, and he served him. And he put Joseph in charge of his house, and entrusted everything he had into his hands. 5 And from the time that he put him in charge of his house and of all that he had, it came about that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph, and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know anything he had, except the food he

13 And when she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand, and had run away, it came about 14 that she called to the men of her household, and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice, 15 and when he heard me raising my voice and crying out, it so happened that he left his cloak with me, ran and got out.”

16 And she put his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 And she spoke to him with these words, saying, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to mock me. 18 And when I raised my voice and cried out, it so happened that he left his cloak with me and ran

Deut 22:22). 38:26 A poor and partial confession. A better one would have been, “I am more sinful than she.” 38:29 “Perez” – Ruth 4:18-22; Matt 1:1-3. Perez means “a breach”, or “a breaking out.” 38:30 Zerah can mean “dawning” or “scarlet” or “brightness.” Chapter 38 gives more evidence that the Bible shows us what people are like and how much they need the grace of God if they are ever to be saved. 39:1 37:25,28,36. 39:2 “With Joseph” – vs 3,21,23; Acts 7:9; Gen 21:20; 26:3; 27:45; 31:3,5; 32:9; 35:3. God with us is the greatest blessing of all.

practiced. 39:6 Joseph always proved himself the kind of person whom others could trust with everything they had – vs 22,23; 41:41. He was first faithful in small things and later in great things (compare Luke 16:10). He is a shining example of the sort of men the church today needs so much. Alas that there are so many who are the opposite of Joseph and cannot be trusted with anything. 39:8 Prov 5:3,4; 6:23,24; 7:4,5,25-27. 39:9 “Great evil” – Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10; Prov 2:16,17; 5:3-23.

“Against God” – Gen 20:6; 42:18; 2 Sam 12:13; Ps 51:4. The reason Joseph kept himself from sinning against God is found in 42:18. 39:12 “Ran” – 2 Tim 2:22; Prov 2:16; 5:8. 39:14-18 See Ps 11:2; 37:12; 38:20. But even the slander of a wicked woman worked for Joseph’s eventual good – it took him to prison where he came to the king’s notice, and so to the highest position in Egypt, next to Pharaoh. See and believe Rom 8:28. 39:14 “Hebrew” – 11:16.

“Prosperity” – the Hebrew here does not necessarily mean that Joseph himself became prosperous. 39:3 “Everything he had in his hands” – compare Josh 1:8; Ps 1:3. 39:5 “Joseph” – the person who walks with God will be a blessing wherever he goes (12:2). And to receive God’s blessings and to be a blessing to others Joseph did not need the deceitful tricks his father once

GENESIS 39:19 58

out.”

its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

19 And when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, ”This is the way your slave acted toward me,” it came about that his anger was aroused. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And there he was in the prison.

12 And Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, just the way you did before when you were his butler. 14 But when it goes well with you, think about me and please show kindness to me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.15 For in fact I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.”

21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison entrusted all the prisoners that were in the prison into Joseph’s hands, and he attended to whatever they did there. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him, and the LORD caused everything he did to prosper.

16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “In my dream, see, I had three white baskets on my head. 17 And in the topmost basket there were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”

And it came about after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with these two officials of his, with the chief of the butlers and with the chief of the bakers. 3 And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 And the captain of the guard put them in Joseph’s charge and he served them. And they continued for a time in custody.

18 And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head from you, and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat your flesh off of you.”

20 And the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, it so happened that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored the chief butler to his place as butler again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted for them.

5 And both of them had dreams, each one dreamed in the same night, each man with a meaning in his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison.

6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning, and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. 7 And he asked these officials of Pharaoh who were with him in custody in his master’s house, saying, “Why are you looking sad today?”

23 Still the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

8 And they said to him, “We have had a dream, and there is no interpreter for it.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell me the dreams.”

And this happened at the end of two full years: Pharaoh was dreaming, and it appeared that he stood by the river. 2 And, suddenly, up out of the river came seven cows, sleek and fat, and fed in a meadow. 3 And then after them seven other cows came up out of the river, ugly and emaciated, and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the ugly

9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream, see, a vine was before me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and

39:19 Prov 6:34. 39:20 Ps 105:17-19. See note at Jer 37:15,16. For note on the good that can come by afflictions see Job 3:20. 39:21 “With him” – v 2. “Favour” – if God is with us and shows us kindness it can little matter where we are. Compare Acts 16:22-25; Phil 4:11-13. 39:22 Verse 6. 39:23 Verse 3. 40:4 God’s hand was in all this, working for Joseph’s eventual release from prison– 41:9-14.

40:5 “Dreams”–15:12; 20:3,6; 28:12; 31:10,11,24. God, who put these two men near Joseph, also gave them their dreams. 40:8 “God”– 41:16; Dan 2:27,28. 40:12 Dan 2:36; 4:18,19. 40:15 37:26-28. 40:16 “Three white baskets” – or, possibly, “three baskets of bread.” 40:23 “Forgot him”– the cupbearer forgot Joseph, but God did not. And in His way, and in His perfect time, God brought Joseph out of prison. 41:1 “Dreaming”– 40:5. Notes and

59 GENESIS 41:35

and emaciated cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

came seven other cows after them, poor, very ugly and emaciated, such as I have never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them, for they were still just as ugly as in the beginning. So I woke up. 22 Again I saw in my dream, and there appeared seven ears coming up on one stalk, full and good, 23 and then seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprung up after them. 24 And the thin ears ate up the seven good ears. I told this to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

5 And he slept and dreamed a second time, and saw seven ears of grain coming up on one stalk, plump and good. 6 And then seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprung up after them. 7 And the seven thin ears ate up the seven plump and full ears. And Pharaoh woke up, and, see, it was a dream.

8 And in the morning it happened that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for Pharaoh.

9 Then Pharaoh’s chief butler spoke up and said, “Today I remember my faults. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker. 11 And we dreamed dreams in the same night, I and he. Each of us had a dream with its own meaning. 12 And a young man was there with us, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us, interpreting for each man according to his dream. 13 And that’s what happened; it came about just as he interpreted for us. He restored me to my place, and hanged him.”

25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. The dreams are one and the same. 27 And the seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years. And the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.

28 “This is the thing that I said to Pharaoh: God is showing Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 See, seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming. 30 And after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land. 31 And the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that famine which follows, for it will be very severe. 32 And as for the dream being twice repeated to Pharaoh, this was because the thing has been decided by God, and God will shortly cause it to happen.

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly from the dungeon. And he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came in to Pharaoh.

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you, that you can understand a dream to interpret it.”

16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer for his welfare.”

33 “Therefore now let Pharaoh look for a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officials over the land, and take up the fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty. 35 And let them gather all the food of those coming good years, and store up

17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, see, I stood on the bank of the river, 18 and suddenly up out of the river came seven cows, fat and sleek, and fed in a meadow. 19 And then up

references at 15:12; Num 12:6; Deut 13:1. 41:5 “Grain” – the KJV has “corn”, but corn, as we know it, was not found in Egypt in those days. 41:8 Compare Dan 1:20; 2:2,27; 4:7. Four centuries after Joseph, magicians were still practicing their arts in Egypt – Ex 7:11,22; 8:7,18,19; 9:11. People often think magicians can do much more than they can actually do. They sometimes mistakenly believe that their tricks are a display of divine power. All types of sorcery are forbidden in God’s Word – Deut 18:1013. 41:9 “Butler” – 40:14,23. God, after He permitted the butler to forget Joseph, now, at the proper time, causes him to remember him. Even things like this are in His hands.

41:14 “Dungeon” – God’s time had come. Compare Rev 2:10; Ps 31:15. 41:15 Dan 5:16. 41:16 “Not in me” – Joseph had the humility seen in other great servants of God – Dan 2:22,28,30; Acts 3:12; 2 Cor 3:5. James 4:6 is a word to write on our hearts and read daily. 41:25 Compare Dan 2:28,29,45. 41:30 “Famine” – God sometimes sends famines in judgment on a people’s sins. See Lev 26:18-20; Deut 28:15,23,24; Ruth 1:1; 2 Sam 21:1; 2 Kings 4:38; 8:1; 25:3; Ps 105:16. At that time in Egypt God had a much wider purpose, as the following chapters reveal. 41:32 In other words, God was emphasizing the truth He was revealing. See 37:5-9;

GENESIS 41:36 60

grain under the control of Pharaoh, and let them keep the food in the cities. 36 And that food will be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish because of the famine.”

sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, bore to him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, saying “For God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

37 And this word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find one such as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”

53 And the seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt ended. 54 And the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. And the famine occurred in every land, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when the whole land of Egypt began to experience the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you.”

39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, no one is as discreet and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne will I be greater than you.”

41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have put you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and dressed him in fine linen clothes, and put a gold chain around his neck, 43 and he caused him to ride in his second chariot, and they shouted ahead of him, “Bow the knee!” And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

56 And the famine was over the whole surface of the earth. And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold grain to the Egyptians. And the famine grew very severe in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was so severe in every land.

44 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without you no one will lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath Paaneah; and he gave him Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On as his wife. And Joseph went throughout the whole land of Egypt.

Now when Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you looking at one another? 2 And he said, “Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Get yourselves down there and buy grain for us from there, so that we can live, and not die.”

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and travelled throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 And in the seven years of plenty the earth produced by handfuls. 48 And he gathered all the food of those seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt, and stored up the food in the cities. He stored up the food from the fields which were around each city in the same city. 49 And Joseph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, great quantities, until he stopped counting, for it was beyond measure.

3 And ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “Perhaps some harm may come to him.” 5 So among those who came to Egypt, the sons of Israel also came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 And Joseph was the ruler over the land, and he was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

50 And before the years of famine came, two

Amos 7:1-6,7-9; 8:1-3. See also note at Dan 7:3-7. 41:37 Pharaoh had not asked for advice, but Joseph’s advice (vs 33-36) was so full of good sense that Pharaoh immediately accepted it. It was God alone who gave such wisdom to Joseph (Acts 7:10). 41:38 Compare Dan 4:8,9,18; 5:11,14. 41:40 Note at 39:6. Compare 1 Sam 2:7,8; Ps 75:6,7; 113:7,8; Jam 4:10. 41:41 Compare Dan 2:48; 5:29; 6:3. 41:42 “Ring” – note at Esther 3:10. 41:43 Compare Esther 6:6-11. 41:44 Ps 105:21,22. 41:45 This new name of Joseph means “revealer of secrets.” 41:46 See 37:2. Joseph had been in Egypt thirteen years.

41:47 “By handfuls” – this indicates great abundance; wherever one looked handfuls of grain could be picked up. 41:51 Manasseh probably means “causing to forget.” 41:52 Ephraim means “twice fruitful” or “much fruitfulness.” In giving both names Joseph was remembering God’s goodness to him in the place of his troubles. If we view matters as he did we will have more joy in the world, this place of our suffering. 41:55 Verses 41,44. 41:57 “All countries” – this means those civilized lands known to the people in that part of the world. It included Canaan. 42:4 Benjamin was the only son of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel left in Canaan. 42:6 37:7-10.

61 GENESIS 42:33

7 And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, speaking roughly to them. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”

21 And they said to one another, “We are, in fact, guilty about our brother, for we saw the pain of his soul when he pled with us, and we would not listen. Therefore this distress has come on us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, saying ‘Do not sin against the boy?’ And you would not listen. So see, his blood is being accounted for.” 23 And they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter.

8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the unprotected parts of the land.”

10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all the sons of one man. We, your servants, are honest men, not spies.”

24 And he turned away from them and wept. Then he turned back to them and talked with them. And he took Simeon from them, and tied him up him before their eyes.

12 And he said to them, “No! You have come to see the unprotected parts of the land.”

25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain and to return each one’s money to his sack, and to give them provision for the road. And this was done for them. 26 And they loaded their donkeys with the grain and left there.

13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. See, today the youngest is with our father, and one is no more.”

27 And when one of them opened his sack at the inn to feed his donkey, he saw his money, for there it was in his sack’s mouth. 28 And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and lo and behold, it’s in my sack!” And their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”

14 And Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you when I said, “You are spies. 15 This is how you will be tested: By the life of Pharaoh you will not go out of here unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother. And you will be kept in prison, so that your words can be tested, to see if there is any truth in you. Or else by the life of Pharaoh you are surely spies.” 17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

29 And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies in the country. 31 And we said to him, ‘We are honest men, we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and today the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 And the man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘This is how I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take food

18 And on the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in the prison where you are. Then you go and take grain for the famine in your houses. 20 But bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so.

42:7 Joseph was not unforgiving (45:4,5). Evidently he waited to see if they had repented of their sin against him (37:18,28). 42:8 “Did not recognize him” – they had not seen Joseph for at least twenty years (37:2; 41:46,53). Moreover, they thought he was dead (v 13; 44:20). And they could never have imagined he would be ruler in Egypt. Also Joseph would have been shaven and dressed in the manner of Egypt. 42:9 “Dreams” – 37:5-9. He remembered God’s revealed will as given in his dreams, and their reaction to him then – hatred. And so he spoke as he did. But the rest of the story shows that it was not revenge he had in mind. 42:10 “Lord” – 37:8. 42:18 “Fear God” – this was the secret of Joseph’s wise and godly way of life. Notes on the fear of God at 20:11; Ps 34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 1:7. 42:21 “Brother” – they were referring to Joseph – 37:26-28. Repentance was beginning to do its work in them. This is what

Joseph was wanting to see. And it was very important to him (and to God) that he see it. Compare God’s dealing with the people of Israel (and, no doubt, with many since) – Hos 5:15; Jer 3:12,13. If we desire God’s blessing we must not try to cover up and forget our sins (Prov 28:13). Note on repentance at Matt 3:2; etc. 42:22 “Boy” – 37:21,22. “Blood” – they thought Joseph had died (v 13; 44:20), and they knew the penalty for what they had done – 9:5,6. 42:24 “Wept” – 43:30; 45:14,15. Joseph was deeply moved to see repentance at work in them (indeed, God Himself always is moved when He sees repentance – Luke 15:7,10). But evidently Joseph did not think the work was complete or that the right time had come to reveal his identity to them. 42:25 For Joseph’s purpose see v28 and 43:18 ,22 42:28 “God” – they realized that God was working in a strange way and they feared He was going to bring about their punishment.

GENESIS 42:34 62

for the famine in your households,and go, 34 and bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest. Then I will hand over your brother to you, and you can trade in the land.’”

can demand him from my hand. If I do not bring him to you, and place him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”

35 And when they emptied their sacks, it happened that, there, in his sack, was each man’s bundle of money. And when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is not here, and you will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”

11 And their father Israel said to them, “If now it has to be so, do this: Take some of the best fruits in the land in your containers, and take down a present for the man, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds. 12 And in your hand take double the money, and the money that was brought back in the mouth of your sacks, take it back in your hand. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And God Almighty give you mercy in the man’s presence, so that he may send your other brother and Benjamin away. If I am deprived of my children, I am deprived.”

37 And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “If I don’t bring him to you, then kill my two sons! Give him into my hand, and I will bring him back to you.”

38 And he said, “My son shall not go down with you! For his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If harm comes to him along the way you are going, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.”

15 And the men took that present, and in their hand they took double the money, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men home, and slaughter an animal, and prepare a meal, for these men will eat with me at noon.”

And the famine was severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten up the grain they had brought from Egypt, it came about that their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”

17 And the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man took the men to Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were taken to Joseph’s house, and they said, “We are brought in here because of the money that was returned to our sacks the first time, so that he can find an opportunity to attack us and seize us as slaves along with our donkeys.”

3 And Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ’You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

6 And Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man whether you had another brother?”

19 And they approached the steward of Joseph’s house and talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, we certainly did come down the first time to buy food, 21 and after we arrived at the inn, it so happened that we opened our sacks, and, there, in the mouth of the sack was each man’s money, our money in full weight. And we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”

7 And they said, “The man asked us particularly about our situation, and about our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we informed him in accordance with his words. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

8 And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, so that we can live, and not die, both we, and you, and our little ones too. 9 I will be the guarantee for him. You

23 And he said, “You be at peace. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has

42:34 “Trade” – or it could possibly mean “move about freely.” 42:36 It seems that Jacob held his sons responsible for Joseph’s disappearance. “Against me” – Jacob had not learned what his son Joseph had learned (45:5-7; 50:20), and what Paul later learned (Rom 8:31). 42:37 See 37:21,22. 42:38 “Left alone” – did Jacob sometimes count only Joseph and Benjamin his sons because they alone were born to Rachel (33:2; 44:27)? This favoritism was

unwise (25:28; 27:1). 43:3 42:20. 43:9 42:37. 43:14 “God Almighty” – El-Shaddai. Note at 17:1.

“Mercy” – compare Ex 3:21; Neh 1:11; Prov 21:1.

“Deprived” – compare Esther 4:16. 43:18-22 Joseph’s purpose in 42:45 is being fulfilled. His brothers are being humbled. 43:23 “God” – 42:28. “Simeon” – 42:24.

63 GENESIS 44:17

given you the treasure in your sacks. I had your money.” And he brought Simeon out to them.

cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his grain money.” And he did according to Joseph’s spoken command.

24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. And he gave feed for their donkeys. 25 And they prepared the present for the coming of Joseph at noon, for they heard that they would be eating bread there.

3 As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. 4 When they had gone out of the city, but not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow the men. And when you catch up to them, say to them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? 5 Is not this cup the one my lord drinks out of, and indeed which he uses for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.”

26 And when Joseph came home, they brought out to him the present which they had in the house, and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he asked them about their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

6 And he caught up to them, and spoke to them these same words. 7 And they said to him, “Why is my master saying these words? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing. 8 See, the money which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 Whoever of your servants it is found with, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health, he is still alive.” And they bent their heads, and bowed down.

29 And he raised his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 And Joseph hurried out, for his heart was moved for his brother, and he looked for a place to weep. And he went into his room and wept there.

10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words. The one with whom it is found will be my servant, and the rest of you will be blameless.”

31 And he washed his face and went out, and restrained himself, and said, “Put the bread on.”

11 Then quickly each one put his sack down on the ground, and each one opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

32 And they put it on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, who were eating with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they were seated in his presence, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 And Joseph took and sent portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were happy with him.

14 And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, for he was still there. And in his presence they fell on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can certainly divine?”

16 And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the wickedness of your servants. See, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and also the one with whom the cup was found.”

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth. 2 And put my

17 And he said, “Far be it from me to do so. The

43:26 “Ground” – v 28; 37:7,10. 43:29 “Mother’s son” - Benjamin was Joseph’s only full brother. The others, born of other mothers, were half-brothers. 43:30 Joseph was obviously a man of tender heart. 43:32 “Abomination” – compare Ex 8:26; John 4:9. 43:33 “Amazement” – they wondered how Joseph could know their ages. 44:1,2 See 42:25,28; 43:18-22. Joseph now hopes for a further work of God in his brothers producing deeper repentance and humility. See note at 42:21. 44:5 Verse 15. Later in history, divination

was forbidden to God’s people (Lev 19:26; Deut 18:10-12; 2 Kings 17:17). If Joseph practiced such a thing surely it was in ignorance that God was displeased with it. But it is possible that he actually had nothing to do with divination, and in v 15 was merely speaking as his brothers would expect him to speak as an Egyptian. 44:7 “Far be it from” – “God forbid” (KJV) is not in the Hebrew here. 44:13 Tearing clothes indicated shock or grief. 44:14 37:7,10. 44:15 “Divine” – note on v 5. 44:16 “Wickedness” – 42:28. Joseph must

GENESIS 44:18 64

man in whose hand the cup was found, he will be my servant. As for you, go on in peace to your father.”

33 “So now, please, instead of the boy, let your servant stay as a slave to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how can I go to my father when the boy is not with me? Then I would have to see the misery that would come on my father.”

18 Then Judah approached him and said, “Oh my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Do you have a father, or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and there is a son of his old age, who is young. And his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’

Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood near him, and he cried out, “Get everyone away from me.” So no one was standing near him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the household of Pharaoh heard it.

21 “And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, so that I can see him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he leaves his father, his father would die.’ 23 And you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’ 24 And when we went to your servant my father, it came about that we told him the words of my lord.

3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still living?” And his brothers could not answer him, for they were alarmed in his presence.

4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near me.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 So do not be grieved now, or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor reaping. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve descendants on the earth for you, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

25 “And our father said, ‘Go back, and buy us a little food.’ 26 And we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 “And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 And the one went away from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces”, and I haven’t seen him since. 29 And if you also take this one from me, and harm comes to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’

8 “So now it was not you who sent me here, but God. And he has made me like a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry, and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not delay. 10 And you will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you, and your children, and your grandchildren, and your flocks, and your herds, and all that you have. 11 And I will provide for you there, so that you and your household do not come to destitution, for there will be five more years of famine.’

30 “So now when I go to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 this is what will happen: When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became the guarantee for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame before my father forever.’

12 “And, look, your eyes, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, can see that it is my mouth that

have been delighted to hear them speak so. 44:20 “Father loves him” – Judah shows a concern for his father’s feelings which he did not show before (37:31-35). In fact, the brothers as a whole seem chastened, softened men. 44:27 “My wife” – he meant Rachel. Did he count only her as his wife and not the three others? (She was the one he loved, and the only one he really wanted to marry – 29:18,20,30,31.) 44:29 “Grave” – Sheol – note at 37:35. 44:33,34 What has happened to the hard man of former years? Surely this speech of Judah’s, showing his compassion and

willingness to suffer for another, was like music in Joseph’s ears. See how God works to change people’s hearts and attitudes. 45:2 42:24; 43:30. 45:3 They remembered their sin (37:4,5,28; 42:21,22). 45:5-8 Joseph looked beyond his afflictions and the sin of his brothers, and saw the hand of God working good. He had a wonderfully clear and true view of God’s complete sovereignty in the affairs of men, and believed the truth of Rom 8:28 before Paul ever wrote it. Note at 50:20. 45:10 Goshen was a choice part of Egypt and very fertile – v 20.

65 GENESIS 46:14

is speaking to you. 13 And you must tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. And you must hurry and bring my father down here.”

words which he had said to them. And when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived, 28 and Israel said, “It is enough. My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.”

14 And he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers, and wept over them. After that his brothers talked with him.

And Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

16 And someone took the news of this to Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” And it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.

2 And God spoke to Israel in visions by night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”

17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do like this: load up your animals and go to the land of Canaan. 18 And bring your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded. Do like this: Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

And he said, “Here I am.” 3 And he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will there make of you a great nation. 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again. And Joseph will put his hand on yours eyes.”

5 And Jacob arose from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel conveyed Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to convey him. 6 And they took their livestock, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his offspring with him. 7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons, and his grandsons, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his descendants.

21 And the children of Israel did so. Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the road. 22 To each and every one of them he gave changes of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of clothing. 23 And he sent these things for his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and food for his father on the road. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “See that you do not quarrel on the way.”

8 And these are the names of the children of Israel, who came to Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn; 9 and the sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10 And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12 And the sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 And the sons of Issachar: Tola, Phuvah, Job, and Shimron. 14 And the sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

25 And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan to their father Jacob, 26 and told him the news, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is the ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart became numb, because he did not believe them. 27 And they told him all of Joseph’s

45:14 “Wept” – though a very powerful man in a great kingdom, Joseph was not ashamed of tears. Eight times in chapters 42-50 his weeping is spoken of. Compare Isa 53:3; Luke 19:41; John 11:35. 45:15 “Talked with him” – tears can convince others of loving concern when nothing else can. 45:18 “The land” – they had hated him and plotted against him slavery and death. In return he gave them the best the land could offer. In this he is an example of how men should behave. Compare Matt 5:44,45; 7:12. See 1Pet 2:19-24. 45:22 “Three hundred pieces of silver” – about 3.5 kilograms. 45:24 “Quarrel on the way” – Joseph knew their nature. And he now wanted them to forget the past and make a new beginning.

45:26 “Got numb” – this is a literal translation of the Hebrew. 46:1 Beersheba is in the southern part of Canaan. His father Isaac had also offered sacrifices there (26:23-25). 46:2 “Visions” – note at 15:1. “Jacob! Jacob!” – see 32:28; 35:10. But Israel did not lose his Jacob nature until he died and perhaps here needed to be reminded of it. 46:3 “Great nation” – 12:2. 46:4 “With you” – see 28:15. All is well if God goes with us where we go (Ps 23:4). 46:5 Notice the mixture of Jacob’s two names. This is seen also in v 8; 47:28,29; 48:2; 49:33 and 50:2. 46:12 “Er and Onan” – these two died in Canaan (38:7,10). 46:13 “Job” – or “Iob” or “Jashub.”

GENESIS 46:15 66

15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Padan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. All these sons and daughters of his numbered thirty-three.

alive.”

31 And Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 And it will come about that Pharaoh will call you and will say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 Then you must say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth up to now, both we and our fathers.’ Do this so that you can live in the land of Goshen, because every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

16 And these were the sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 And the sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah, and Serah their sister; and the sons of Beriah were Heber, and Malchiel.

18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, whom she bore to Jacob. The total was sixteen persons.

19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 20 And Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of On, bore them to him.

Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, saying, “My father and my brothers, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan, and now are in the land of Goshen.”

21 And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These were the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob. The total of these persons was fourteen.

2 And he took five men from among his brothers, and presented them to Pharaoh.

23 And the son of Dan was Hushim. 24 And the sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

3 And Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”

And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”

25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore them to Jacob. The total of these persons was seven.

4 They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to stay in the land for a time, for your servants had no pasture for their flocks, because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Therefore, please let your servants stay now in the land of Goshen.”

26 All the people who came with Jacob to Egypt, who came from his body, besides the wives of Jacob’s sons, the total number of persons was sixty-six. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two persons. So all the people of the household of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.

5 And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers live in the best of the land. Have them live in the land of Goshen, and if you know any men of ability among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”

28 And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, so he could appear before him in Goshen. And they went on to the land of Goshen. 29 And Joseph prepared his chariot, and went out to Goshen to meet his father Israel, and presented himself to him. And he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a long time.

7 And Joseph brought in his father Jacob, and placed him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”

30 And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty

46:15 “Padan-Aram” – 25:20. 46:26,27 Sixty-six persons came with Jacob; Joseph and his two sons were already in Egypt. This total comes to 69. Counting Jacob the total is 70. 46:29 “Wept” – 45:14. 46:31-34 It would seem from this that Joseph wanted all the people of Israel to be kept separate in the region of Goshen. Possibly he did not want them to be put in a city or to mingle too closely with the Egyptians and learn their ways. So he advised his brothers to speak out frankly and tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds, “an abomination to the

Egyptians.” 47:4 “Goshen” – this area was very fertile and the land good for grazing flocks and herds. 47:6 “Capable men” – knowing Joseph he could believe that some of his brothers might have some good sense and skill. 47:7 “Blessed” – the Hebrew word may also be translated “greeted.” 47:9 “Pilgrimage” – Heb 11:9,13. “Difficult” – 31:40-42; 42:36,38; Job 5:7; 14:1. “Fathers” – Abraham lived to be 175; Isaac to 180. At this time Jacob was only

67 GENESIS 48:1

years. The days of the years of my life have been few and difficult, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” 10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.

field, because the famine had overcome them. So the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 And as for the people, he moved them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt to its other end. 22 But he did not buy the land of the priests, because the priests had an allotment assigned to them by Pharaoh, and ate their allotment which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they did not sell their lands.

11 And Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided bread for his father and his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to their families.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Look, today I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh. See, here is seed for you, and you must sow the land. 24 And it must be that you give a fifth part of the crop to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own as seed for the field, and for your food, and for those of your households, and for food for your little ones.”

13 And there was no bread in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the whole land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought. And Joseph brought the money to Pharaoh’s house. 15 And when there was no more money in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For the money is gone.”

25 And they said, “You have saved our lives. Let us find favour in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”

26 And Joseph made it a law in the land of Egypt, in force to this day, that Pharaoh would have the fifth part of all crops, except for the land of the priests, which did not become Pharaoh’s.

27 And Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen, and they had possessions there, and grew, and greatly increased in number.

16 And Joseph said, “Give your livestock, and I will give you grain for your cattle, since your money is gone.” 17 And they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses and for the flocks and for the herds of livestock, and for the donkeys. And that year he fed them with bread for all their livestock.

28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, so the total age of Jacob was a hundred and forty-seven years. 29 And the time drew near for Israel to die, and he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favour in your sight, please place your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and faithfully with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, you must carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burial site.”

18 When that year was over, they came to him the second year, and said to him, “We will not hide it from my lord, that our money is spent. My lord also has our herds of livestock. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies and our lands. 19 So shall we perish before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed grain so that we can live and not die, so that the land will not be desolate.”

And he said, “I will do as you say.” 31 And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. And Israel bowed down at the head of the bed.

And after these things, it came about that some one told Joseph, “Look, your father is sick.” And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh 48

20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. For each one of the Egyptians sold his

picture of certain important spiritual truth later made clear to the people of Israel. God told them that all the land of Israel and all the people belonged to Him, and He was responsible for their welfare as long as they kept His covenant – Ex 7:4; 19:5; Lev 25:23; Deut 7:6. In the same way now believers together with all they have belong to God, being purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ – 1 Cor 6:19,20; etc. 47:27 46:3. 47:29 “Thigh” – note 24:2. 47:31 “Bowed down” – referred to in Heb 11:21 as an example of Jacob’s faith. 48:1 “Ephraim” – 41:51,52.

130 (v 28). 47:10 “Blessed” – the Hebrew word may also mean “said farewell to.” 47:11 45:18. Joseph did more than make promises. He did what many do not do – he fulfilled them. 47:13-26 Under Joseph the power of the state increased enormously. All the land and then all the people became Pharaoh’s property. Perhaps this was best to meet the crisis of that time of terrible famine. But it is very doubtful if it worked for the future prosperity of Egypt. When the state owns everything, personal liberties and initiative are stifled and the people as a whole will suffer. But what happened in Egypt is a

GENESIS 48:2 68

and Ephraim. 2 And someone told Jacob, and said, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you.” And Israel summoned his strength and sat up on the bed.

on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands. For Manasseh was the firstborn.

15 And he blessed Joseph, and said,

3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Look, I will make you fruitful, and increase you in number, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and will give this land to your offspring after you as an everlasting possession.’

“God, in whose presence my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my

life to this day, 16 The Angel who delivered me from all evil, bless the lads. And let them be called by my name, and the name of my fathers Abraham and

5 “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine. Just like Reuben and Simeon, they will be mine. 6 And your children who will be born to you after them will be yours, and will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by my side on the way in the land of Canaan, when there still just a little way before coming to Ephrath. And I buried her there by the Ephrath road. That is Bethlehem.”

Isaac. And let them grow into a multitude among

the peoples of the earth.”

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took hold of his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not like that, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

19 And his father refused, and said, “I know it, my son, I know it. He too will become a people, and he too will be great, but in fact his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.” 20 And he blessed them that day, saying, “Israel will pronounce a blessing in your name, saying, ‘God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

8 And Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”

9 And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.”

And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”

10 Now Israel’s eyes were dim because of age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near to him, and he kissed them, and embraced them.

21 And Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 And I have given to you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”

11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face, and lo and behold, God has showed me your offspring too.”

12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand

2 “Assemble yourselves and hear, you sons of Jacob, 49

And Jacob called to his sons, and said, “Assemble yourselves, so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the last days.

48:3 “God Almighty” – El-Shaddai – note at 17:1. “Luz” – Bethel (28:19). 48:4 “Said” – 28:13,14. 48:5 1 Chron 5:1,2. Joseph’s sons became the fathers of two of the twelve tribes of Israel who divided and possessed the land of Canaan. Levi received no inheritance in the land. 48:9 “Bless” – 27:4. 48:14 Verses 17-20; Heb 11:21. The tribe of Ephraim became the most powerful in the northern kingdom of Israel after the kingdom divided in the time of Rehoboam. 48:15 “Shepherd” – this was true even when Jacob was least aware of it. On shepherd

see Ps 23:1; 78:52; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3; John 10:11-16. 48:16 “Angel” – note at 16:7. 48:20 “Manasseh” – v 14. The blessings spoken of these founders of the nation of Israel were given by direction of the Spirit of God and foretold the future. See 9:2527; 27:33; 49:1. 48:22 “I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow” – the event he speaks of is not recorded in the Bible, unless Jacob is referring to the events of 34:25-29. 49:1 In this chapter Jacob is speaking as a prophet. In v 28 these predictions are called blessings. Blessings (or curses) spoken by inspiration of God were actually prophecies

69 GENESIS 49:19

and listen to your father Israel.

Who will rouse him up? 10 The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet,

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. 4 Unstable as water, you will not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it. He went up to my couch.

until Shiloh comes. And the gathering of the people will be

to him. 11 He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine. He washes his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers. Instruments of violence are in their

habitations. 6 O my soul, do not come into their secret. Do not be united with their assembly,

13 “Zebulun will live at the haven of the sea. And he will be a haven for ships. And his border will be as far as Sidon.

my honour, do not be united. For in their anger they slew a man,

and in their self-will they dug down

14 “Issachar is a strong donkey crouching down between two burdens. 15 And he saw that restful place was good, and that the land was pleasant, and bowed his shoulder to bear loads,

a wall. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob,

and scatter them in Israel.

and became a servant to tribute.

8 “Judah, you are the one whom your brothers will praise. Your hand will be on the neck of your

16 “Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a serpent by the road, an adder in the path, that bites the

enemies. Your father’s children will bow down

horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backwards. 18 I wait for your salvation, O LORD.

to you. 9 Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion,

19 “Gad, a troop will overcome him, but he will overcome at last.

and like an old lion.

of the future. Compare 9:25-27; chapter 27. 49:3,4 35:22; Deut 27:20; 1 Chron 5:1. Afterwards the tribe of Reuben was never noted for leadership or greatness. No judge, no prophet, no great leader of the people named in the Bible came from Reuben. 49:5 34:25-29. 49:7 Josh 19:1,9; 22:1-42. Simeon was later scattered partly in Judah’s territory (Josh 19:2-9 with 15:26-32 and Neh 11:2528), and partly among the tribes in the north of Israel (2 Chron 34:6). Levi had its towns throughout the other tribes of Israel and had no region of its own (Ex 32:26,29; Num 18:20,23; 35:2-8; Josh 21:1-42). 49:8 Judah probably means “praise.” “Bow down to you” – a prediction that Judah would later become the ruling tribe in Israel (1 Chron 5:2). 49:9 “Lion’s cub” – compare Ezek 19:6; Micah 5:8; Num 24:9. The Lord Jesus, descended from Judah, is called “The lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5). 49:10 “Sceptre” – Ps 60:7; 108:8. Out of Judah came David and Solomon who reigned over the twelve tribes, and all the kings who ruled over the kingdom of Judah. In regard to His human nature Jesus Christ came from Judah (Luke 1:27; Heb 7:14).

which may mean “He to whom it belongs”, but it may possibly mean “quietness” or “rest.” Almost this exact phrase is found in Ezek 21:26,27. The one to whom the ruler’s sceptre belongs is the Lord Jesus. He is the king of the Jews (Matt 27:37), and the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 17:14; 19:11-16). He shall rule all nations in the future. The obedience of the people will be to Him (Ps 2:6-9; 72:1-11; Rev 2:26,27; 3:21). 49:11,12 These verses suggest prosperity in a settled environment. Verse 12 may also be translated “His eyes will be dull from wine, his teeth white from milk.” 49:13 Zebulun later settled in the north of Israel not very far from the sea coast and from Sidon – close enough to be enriched by the abundance of the seas (Deut 33:18,19). 49:14,15 Jacob could predict no glorious future for this tribe. For the sake of life in a pleasant part of Canaan it would be willing to give up its freedom. 49:16-18 The name Dan means to judge or provide justice. However, this tribe failed miserably in this. At times it was more like a snake than a just judge. See Judges 18:1-31. 49:19 The tribe of Gad settled east of the

“Shiloh” – this comes from a Hebrew word

GENESIS 49:20 70

20 “Asher, rich food will come from him, and he will yield royal dainties.

and at night he will divide the spoil.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, while blessing them. He blessed each one according to his appropriate blessing. 29 And he gave them a command, saying to them, “I am going to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave in the field of Machpelah, which faces Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a possession for a burial site. 31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah. There they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah. And there I buried Leah. 32 The purchase of the field and of the cave that is in it was from the children of Heth.”

21 “Naphtali is a deer set free. He gives beautiful words.

22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. 23 The archers bitterly attacked him, and shot at him, and hated him. 24 But his bow remained firm, and the arms of his hands were made

strong by the hands of the mighty

God of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the stone

of Israel), 25 by the God of your father, who will help you, and by the Almighty,

33 And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up onto the bed, and expired, and was gathered to his people.

who will bless you with blessings of

heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the

And Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept on him, and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded the physicians who were his servants to embalm his father. And the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 And it took a full forty days for him, for it fully takes this many days for those who are being embalmed. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

womb. 26 The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of my

ancestors to the utmost bounds of

the everlasting hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who

was separate from his brothers.

4 And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favour in your eyes,

27 “Benjamin will be as ravenous as a wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey,

Jordan river, away from the main land of Israel, and was exposed to the raids of enemy peoples on its borders (Num 32:1-5). Gad can also mean “attack” or “band of raiders.” 49:20 This tribe settled along the sea coast in Israel in a fertile part of the land. 49:21 The last phrase of this verse is obscure. It may also be translated “it bears beautiful fawns.” This tribe settled around the sea of Galilee and in the hill country north of it. This verse suggests a life free and fair. The words “set free” suggest a time of bondage from which they recover. See Jud 4:1-7; 5:18. 49:22-26 Jacob’s favorite son comes in for the longest and greatest blessing. But Joseph was the most worthy of all the sons of Jacob, and God was directing Jacob’s thoughts and words. The tribes that came from Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, later received some of the choicest parts of the land of Canaan as their portion. Ephraim was the leading tribe of Israel for at least three centuries and later was at the center of the northern kingdom of Israel. The prosperity of this tribe is referred to in Hos 12:8. Verse 23 refers to all Joseph’s sufferings at the hands of his brothers, and in Egypt.

“God of Jacob” (v 24) – see note on Ps 146:5.

“From there” – from the hands of the God of Jacob or from the place of the God of Jacob.

“Shepherd” – John 10:11. “Stone” or “Rock.” See note at Deut 32:4. 49:25 “Almighty” – in Hebrew “Shaddai” – 17:1. 49:27 Benjamin was later a fierce and active tribe, as can be seen from Judges chapters 19-21; Ps 68:27. Ehud (Judges 3:12-30), and Saul, Israel’s first king who was something like a wolf, came from Benjamin. This is true also of Saul of Tarsus – another “wolf” before he became a “sheep” (Acts 9:1,2; Phil 3:5). 49:28 These blessings fitted the sons of Jacob in their character and history, and in God’s knowledge of the future. 49:29-32 23:3-20. “Sons of Heth” – Heth was the progenitor of the Hittite nation. 49:33 “Gathered to his people” – note at 25:8. 50:1 “Wept” – 45:14. 50:2 Jacob died (49:33), Israel was embalmed. After death he was no more Jacob but Israel forever. 50:3 The ancient Egyptians were very skilled in preparing bodies for burial. Some of these

71 GENESIS 50:20

please speak in the ears of Pharaoh and say, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Look, I am dying. You must bury me in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Therefore, now please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’”

commanded them. 13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field as a possession for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14 And after burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

6 And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, just as he made you swear.”

7 And Joseph went up to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the household of Joseph, and his brothers, and his father’s household, went up with him. They left behind in the land of Goshen only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds. 9 And both chariots and horsemen went up with him, and it was a very great company.

15 And when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ”Maybe Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 And they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave a command before he died, saying, 17 ‘Tell Joseph this: now please forgive the transgression of your brothers, and their sin, for they did evil to you.’ So now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

10 And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they mourned with a very great and bitter lamentation. And he observed seven days’ mourning for his father. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a bitter mourning to the Egyptians.” So its name was called Abel-Mizraim. It is beyond the Jordan.

18 And his brothers also went and prostrated themselves in his presence. And they said, “See, we are your servants.”

19 And Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good, so as to bring about this result, keeping

12 And his sons did for him just as he had

bodies are still in a state of preservation after 3,500 years. 50:5 47:29-31. 50:11 “Abel-Mizraim” – this name means “mourning of the Egyptians.” 50:13 23:16-20. 50:15-17 37:28;42:21,22.In spite of all the kindness Joseph had shown them their conscience was still uneasy and made them afraid. There is no record of Jacob giving the instructions they said he gave, but he may have done so 50:17 “Wept” – 45:14. Joseph was grieved at their lack of trust in him. And does not our unbelief make the Lord Jesus sad? 50:18 “Prostrated themselves in his presence” – 37:8-10. 50:19 Joseph is saying that God alone is the judge of men, and the one who should take vengeance if necessary (Rom 12:17,19). See note at Num 31:2. 50:20 In this one verse Joseph shows his great trust in God, his clear grasp of spiritual truth, and his total acceptance of the will of God (compare 45:5-7; Deut 23:5; Ps 76:10; Rom 8:28). In the whole of human history God has been the great king over the world (see Ps 47:2 and note there). He has been working out His good purposes and bringing the greatest good to those who trusted and loved Him, even when men and devils (and sometimes they themselves) meant the greatest evil. There are many examples of this in the Bible.

defeat of Balak (Numbers chapters 22-24).

Saul tried to murder David and chased him in the wilderness, but God was testing and preparing David for the throne of Israel and raised him to that position in the proper time. Satan tried to ruin Job, but the result was more blessing and prosperity, both spiritual and material for Job (Job 1:9-11; 2:7; 42:10).

Evil men tried to destroy Daniel, but through that attempt God brought more glory to Himself and a higher position for Daniel (Dan 6:1-28).

How often Paul was mistreated by evil men, beaten, stoned, imprisoned. Yet he said, and fully believed, that it was all for good (Rom 8:28; 2 Cor 4:17,18; 12:10; Phil 1:12-14).

The supreme example of this principle was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Satan and wicked men meant it for evil. God meant it for good (Acts 2:23; 4:27,28), and through the acts of men at their worst He brought the greatest good to mankind, the eternal salvation of His people.

What a God! For His people He turns curses into blessings, evil into good, loss into gain, weakness into strength! God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. He is not a victim of circumstances and events. He controls circumstances and events, including the sinful acts of men, for His people’s good, and to fulfill His purposes. Let us learn, as Joseph did, to apply this great truth to our own lives. It can give us joy in troubles and peace in sorrows of every kind.

Balak tried to destroy Israel and called Balaam to curse the nation, but God turned the event into blessing for Israel and the

GENESIS 50:21 72

many people alive, as it is today. 21 Now, therefore, do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely come to you, and bring you out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 And Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely come to you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

22 And Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph lived a hundred and ten years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. Also the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were brought up on Joseph’s knees.

26 So Joseph died, aged a hundred and ten years. And they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

50:21 “Kindly to them”– some of the events in the life of Joseph are strikingly similar to some events in the life of Christ. They were both especially loved by their fathers (37:3; Matt 3:17; John 3:35; 5:20). Both were hated by their own people (37:4; John 15:24,25). The words of both were rejected by their people (37:8; John 8:37,43,45). There was a conspiracy to kill each of them (37:18; Matt 26:3,4). Each was sold into the hands of enemies (37:28; Matt 26:1416). Each was falsely accused and punished (39:11-20; Matt 26:59-68; Luke 23:4, 23,24). Each became a blessing to the Gentiles (41:48,49, 54-57; Luke 24:45-47; Rom 1:16). Each rose to the highest place possible to him (41:38-44; Acts 2:36; Eph 1:20-22; Phil 2:9-11). Each was a means of saving his people (45:5-7; 47:11,12; Rom 1:16; 11:25-27). As Joseph made himself known at last to his brothers so will Jesus make himself known to the nation Israel (45:1-4; Zech 12:10; Rev 1:7). And as Joseph spoke kindly and showed kindness to his brothers as long as he lived, so will the Lord Jesus (Eph 2:7). 50:24,25 13:15; 26:3; 35:12. 50:26 “A hundred and ten” – see Heb 11:22. Throughout Genesis we see the life span of men getting less and less (5:27; 9:29; 11:10-32; 25:7; 37:28; 47:28. Later it was reduced further (Ps 90:10).

the one word In Hebrew used to express everything from the air, the sky just above the earth, to the heavens of stars (and possibly galaxies - though galaxies are nowhere mentioned in the Bible). It is also the word used for Heaven, God’s dwelling place. In verse 26 this same Hebrew word is translated “air” (and in about 20 other places In the Old Testament). In Hebrew the word is always in the plural. The singular Is never used, even when the meaning is obviously singular, and so from the word itself we cannot always be sure whether singular or plural is meant. This is why some versions have “heaven” in verse 1, and others have “heavens”.

Also the word translated “earth” is the same word for “land” and is used very often for the land of Israel.

And the Hebrew word usually translated “made” in verses 7 and 16 also has more than one meaning -”made ready”, “prepared”, “brought forth”, “worked on”, “did”, as well as “made” or “created from existing material”. The word translated “set” (“appointed” in some versions) in verse 17 is a form of the Hebrew word for “gave” which has quite a variety of meanings.

The word “beginning” in verse 1 also gives scope for questions. Does it refer to the beginning of the whole universe? or only to the beginning of our galaxy, the Milky Way, with its stars that appear in our sky at night? or, for that matter, only to the earth and that part of the sky closest to earth? It is generally assumed that it refers to the beginning of the whole universe, and it may do so. But can this be proved beyond doubt from the Hebrew words used? Of course, God did create the whole universe (Eph 3:9; Col 1:16; Rev 4:11), but can we be absolutely certain that this is what He is saying here? Is It not possible that God is giving a revelation of what is of most concern to man on earth, that is, man’s immediate environment, the earth and sky just above the earth, and that outer space was already in existence long before the event spoken of in Genesis 1:1? (One recognized expert on the Hebrew language whom I contacted believes this is the way we should look at it.) Perhaps the galaxies in far distant space were created long before the Milky Way. Can it be proved that they were not? According to evidence put forth by astronomers the formation of new galaxies in space still goes on.

“Coffin in Egypt” – in the opening chapter of Genesis man is full of life, a living being made in God’s image (1:27; 2:7). Genesis closes with death coming to one of the best of men. The reason for death is given in 2:17; 3:6; Rom 5:12.

Additional Notes on Genesis chapter 1

Genesis chapter one is a marvelous revelation from God, fully inspired and completely accurate, giving us certain facts about the origin of our world, of mankind and of all we see about us. We should all be very glad indeed to have this record of God’s creative activity.

However, having the record and fully understanding it are two different matters. Actually, there are some major difficulties in our path when we try to understand all that God has revealed. Perhaps the principal difficulty is this: Some Hebrew words used there have more than one possible meaning and can be translated in various ways.

For example, the word translated “heaven” or “heavens” (NKJV) in verse 1 is

73 GENESIS 1 notes

It certainly seems possible to me that the phrase “In the beginning” means the beginning of our corner of the universe, that part which relates most directly to mankind. The earth is very special to God. This is where He created man made in His image, and this is where He planned for His Son to come and live among men and die for them. So the “beginning” may well mean the beginning of this spot that is special in the eyes of God.

that verse 1, the creation of the heaven and the earth, is to be included in the work of the first day. Verse one was the original creation. Verse 3 begins the revelation of what God did to prepare the earth for life and human habitation. We are not told when God sent light to the dark and empty earth. Only the bare fact is stated. Some scholars believe that this time period could have been millions or even billions of years. If the “beginning” in 1:1 was the beginning of the whole universe. Including earth, then the earth is very old, and it could have remained dark and empty for an immense period of time before God sent light and began to change things.

We may also have difficulties in understanding all that is in Genesis chapter 1 because of assumptions that have been generally made about what is taught here. But assumptions are just that, and may not be the truth God has revealed.

Someone may ask, Why would God wait such a long period of time before going to work on the earth to make it fit for man’s habitation? But we might just as well ask, why not? Why have a universe billions of years old (if that is what it is)? God does not regard time as we do (see Psalm 90:4, where a thousand years to God is like a watch in the night - 4 hours). And He does not think as we do (Isaiah 55:8,9), and His judgments are unsearchable and His ways are past finding out (Romans 11:33). Of course, the appearance of man (homo sapiens) on earth was of recent origin, measured in thousands of years, not millions or billions.

There are also disputes among those who accept the Bible as the infallible Word of God (which it is) about the time periods involved in this chapter, and the manner in which God brought about all that is seen there.

This chapter, as the rest of the Bible, is God’s Word, and we should all be very careful about making pronouncements concerning the events revealed in It, and AVOID DOGMATISM ABOUT DOUBTFUL THINGS (this should apply also about other revelations in the Bible which seem to us to have two or more possible interpretations). And we should not fail to love our brothers in the faith who disagree with our views on certain details of God’s revelation.

We should look more carefully at 1:1418. The Hebrew word translated “made” in verse 16 is “asah.” This is not the same word used in verse 1, translated “created” (“bara”). Here “asah” may not mean “created”, but “to work on” or “to produce”, “to make ready”, “to prepare” (see Ps 74:16).” The word “asah” is used over 2600 times in the Hebrew Old Testament (“bara” is used only 49 times), and has a wide band of meanings. In a few cases it is used with more or less the same meaning as “bara” (create), though it usually (perhaps always) seems to mean to make out of already existing material. In verse 26 God said “Let us make (asah) man in our image”, and in the next verse we have the words, “So God created (bara) man in His own image.” God “made” or created man out of previously existing material - the dust of the earth. In Gen 2:4 we have both verbs used again - ”This is the history of the heaven and the earth when they were created (“bara”), in the day that the LORD God made (“asah”) the earth and the heaven.” So we cannot be absolutely sure that Gen 1:14-16 indicates that God actually created the sun and moon at that time, using pre-existing material, or whether He merely worked on them and caused them at that time to shine on earth, perhaps by more fully removing a cloud and water canopy surrounding the earth.

As for the word translated “heaven,” since the Hebrew word has various meanings, we should be careful not to immediately rule out any of them as we look at the opening verse of the Bible. Is God really speaking here of the whole universe? Or only of that part of it which Is close to the earth? Should the word be translated “sky” or “skies? Are we to take the information given in verses 7 and 8 as the definition of the “heaven” in verse 1? The same Hebrew word is used in both verses. The language of verses 7 and 8, speaking of waters above the expanse (or firmament) and below the expanse, seems to indicate that the heaven spoken of in this chapter is related to the skies just above the earth, not to the far reaches of space.

Many scientists, at present, with the evidence they think they have gleaned, say that the universe is many billions of years old. This has not been proved to everyone’s satisfaction, but assuming, for the moment, that it is true, it is not necessary to think that the earth is anywhere near that old. Its beginning might conceivably have been long after the creation of what we call outer space with its myriads of galaxies. If so, light from those far distant galaxies could have been streaming through this corner of space where the earth now is, before the earth was created. I am only suggesting possibilities, not making assertions.

Another possibility that perhaps should not be ruled out is this: Let us suppose that Genesis 1:1 is speaking only of the earth and its local “heaven” (that which surrounded the earth close in), and that the earth was actually created before the sun, the moon and the stars which appear to us on earth.

There seems to be a good possibility that there was a gap between verses two and three of Genesis chapter 1, and perhaps a very long gap. It is not necessary to think

GENESIS 1 notes 74

Could not earth have been a special creation held in the hand of God on which He lovingly began His special work, giving it light from some source other than the sun (v 3), and afterwards actually creating the sun, moon and stars we read about in verses 14-16. But, someone will object, the earth needed to turn on its axis and needed to revolve around a heavenly body as it now does the sun. This is true if the only forces that exist are the physical forces of nature. But God the Creator is not limited to physical forces, and in creation may do as He pleases.

that. To me there seems to be scientific evidence against this view that makes it very doubtful indeed. If in the future this scientific evidence proves to be invalid, then this interpretation could seem much more likely than it does at present. But it is not necessary to accept this interpretation as the best explanation of the language of Genesis chapter 1, as I have tried to show in these notes. And since the language of the Bible itself does not demand such an interpretation, what is the value of trying to establish it?

To the author of these notes, in his present state of knowledge, these seem to be the possibilities. When I say “possibilities” I mean things that seem possible from the use of Hebrew words and phrases, and not necessarily scientifically possible, or possible from God’s point of view. Actually, from God’s point of view there is only one “possibility” - that which He actually did back there “in the beginning” and during the time following that.

And there is another force operating in the universe, one which scientists cannot examine. See Hebrews 1:3 and Colossians 1:17, where we are told that all things are “upheld” by the powerful word of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that by Him all things “hold together.”

If, in fact, the sun and moon and visible stars came into existence after the earth was already here, then “asah” could mean that they were created out of already existing material (such as clouds of gas). If this is the way things came about, then the age of our solar system, and indeed our whole galaxy (but not the whole universe, and not necessarily the earth), would be measured in thousands of years, not billions. Light from the center of this galaxy, traveling at the rate of 186,000 miles per second, could reach the earth in about 28,000 years. But perhaps the words “the stars” means only the stars that appear in our night sky. In this case, the sun, moon, and these close stars could be younger than that.

In any case, trying to determine the age of the universe or of the present earth (or the earth as it was originally) is not my chief concern. Of what spiritual benefit would the knowledge of that be to anyone? We should be much more concerned with the God who created and made them and us, and with His later revelation of Himself, and with what He has done for us and what He wants us to be and do.

In the above notes I have set forth these theories, suggestions and possibilities which give some idea of the diversity of opinions held by believers about God’s activities in regard to the heavens and the earth. What do I myself believe? I believe, as I said above, that we should be very cautious in our interpretation of the details of God’s revelation here, and not express our opinions as if they were the absolute truth of God.

If, on the other hand, it can be proved that this galaxy is many millions or billions of years old (and some scientists think they have proved this), that should not trouble us. It should not affect the conviction that the present earth, prepared for mankind’s habitation, is much, much younger than that, however old the original earth and this galaxy might be.

Further, I believe that what we call outer space with its myriads of galaxies, etc is probably some billions of years old; that the condition of the earth from Genesis 1:3 onward is quite young in comparison, its age to be measured in thousands, not billions, of years; that it is possible that the earth before God prepared it for man’s habitation is older than that, and perhaps much older than that. If the beginning stated in 1:1 was the beginning only of our Milky Way galaxy then that might have taken place long after the creation of outer space with its galaxies. In this case, our galaxy and our earth need not be very ancient compared to the rest of the universe. We would have not merely a young earth, but a comparatively young galaxy as well. If, on the other hand, 1:1 refers to the beginning of the whole universe and the earth along with it then the original earth could be very ancient indeed. If this is the way we should understand that verse, then we might well consider that there was a huge gap in time between verses 2 and 3, God waiting a very long time before He sent light onto the earth

We should look at the sentence ‘He made the stars also.” Perhaps this means that He made them appear from the earth’s point of view - that is, made conditions ready so that their light would reach earth. However, it would not be contrary to the Hebrew here to translate this “He had made the stars also” - referring to a work done long before. Notice that the words “He made” or “He had made” are in Italics, indicating that they are not in the original Hebrew. Or the expression might be a simple statement which means this: He who did all these other things is the One who also made the stars. Or it could even mean that at that time He actually took preexisting material and made the stars which now appear to us on earth.

One last theory should be put in the list of possibilities - some Christian scholars insist that the entire universe, all the heavens with their myriads of galaxies, together with the original earth, was made only some thousands of years ago, and that six literal days of creation followed immediately after

75 GENESIS 1 notes

and went to work on it again. In this case, the physical earth, desolate and void, was very old, but the earth made ready for life and man is a great deal younger. And since this prepared earth is comparatively young, then the days mentioned in this chapter could well be days of 24 hours. If Genesis 1:1 is speaking only of the earth and its local “heaven”, the “air”, then the earth and the sun, moon, and stars spoken of in verses 14-16 could be young, and the days of this chapter would be days of 24 hours.

to be unduly dogmatic. God knows what He did and when He did it, and He knows also that His revelation of what He did, when properly understood, will be in complete harmony with any real truth science can ever discover. Let us indeed be dogmatic in teaching that God is the great Creator, and earth is a special creation made for a special purpose and that man too is a special creation of God. But the various interpretations of some of the details of His creation, at present, surely should not be put forward with the same certainty as these great truths.

Faced with all these possibilities, I would state again my conviction that it is not wise

EXODUS

Title:

The Jews called this book by the opening words "Now these are the names," and later shortened it to "names." The name "Exodus" was given later (see the introduction to Genesis). It means "departure" or "going out," and refers to the departure of the people of Israel from Egypt.

Author and date:

See Genesis author and date.

Theme:

The deliverance of Israel from slavery is the major theme of the first part of this book, and how God's people were to live and worship is the major theme of the second part. The whole book is full of symbolic meanings and contains much instruction for believers now. See 2 Tim 3:16,17.

Contents:

Israel's enslavement in Egypt .................................................................. 1:1-22 Birth of Moses and his first years ............................................................ 2:1-10 Moses flees to Midian and remains 40 years ........................................... 2:11-24 God calls Moses at the burning bush and sends

him to Egypt.................................................................................. 3:1 - 4:17 Moses objects .................................................................................... 3:11-13 God reveals His name ........................................................................ 3:14,15 Moses objects again and God gives him

power to do miracles ..................................................................... 4:1-9 Moses objects again and asks God to

send someone else ........................................................................ 4:10-12 Moses returns to Egypt .......................................................................... 4:18-31 Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh ............................................................. 5:1-21 God's promise of deliverance .................................................................. 5:22 - 6:12 Aaron's staff becomes a snake ............................................................... 7:9-13 God sends plagues on Egypt ................................................................... 7:14 - 12:30

Water turns to blood .......................................................................... 7:14-24 Frogs ................................................................................................. 7:25 - 8:15 Lice ................................................................................................... 8:16-19 Flies .................................................................................................. 8:20-32 Death of livestock .............................................................................. 9:1-7 Boils .................................................................................................. 9:8-12 Hail ................................................................................................... 9:13-35 Locusts .............................................................................................. 10:1-20 Darkness ........................................................................................... 10:21-24 Death of firstborn sons ...................................................................... 11:1 - 12:30 The Passover ..................................................................................... 12:1-28 Israel leaves Egypt ................................................................................. 12:31-42 Passover instructions .............................................................................. 12:43-50 Instructions about the firstborn............................................................... 13:1-16 Pillars of cloud and fire ........................................................................... 13:20-22 Israel crosses Red Sea, Pharaoh's army drowns ...................................... 14:1-31 Song of deliverance ................................................................................ 15:1-21

77 EXODUS

The waters of Marah and Elim .................................................................... 15:22-27 God provides manna and quail ................................................................... 16:1-36 God gives water from the rock ............................................................... 17:1-7 War with Amalek ...................................................................................... 17:8-15 Father-in-law of Moses ............................................................................. 18:1-27 God and Israel at Mt Sinai ...................................................................... 19:1-25 The covenant of law ............................................................................... 19:5-8 The ten commandments ......................................................................... 20:1-17 Further laws and instructions .................................................................. 20:22 - 23:13 Three annual festivals ............................................................................ 23:14-17 God's angel to lead Israel ....................................................................... 23:20-23 The covenant confirmed ......................................................................... 24:1-18 God gives instructions for the tabernacle ................................................ 25:1 - 31:18

The ark ............................................................................................. 25:10-22 The table ........................................................................................... 25:23-30 The lampstand ................................................................................... 25:31-40 The tent ............................................................................................ 26:1-37 The altar for burnt offerings ............................................................... 27:1-8 The courtyard .................................................................................... 27:9-19 The oil ............................................................................................... 27:20,21 The garments for the priests .............................................................. 28:1-43 The consecration of the priests .......................................................... 29:1-45 The altar for incense .......................................................................... 30:1-10 The atonement money ....................................................................... 30:11-16 The basin for washing ........................................................................ 30:17-21 The anointing oil ................................................................................ 30:22-33 The incense ....................................................................................... 30:34-38 The builders....................................................................................... 31:1-11 The Sabbath ...................................................................................... 31:12-18 The golden calf ...................................................................................... 32:1-29 Moses pleads with God ........................................................................... 32:30-34 The tent of meeting ............................................................................... 33:7-11 Moses asks to see God's glory ................................................................ 33:12-23 Moses sees God's glory, God proclaims His name .................................... 34:1-7 God gives further instructions ................................................................. 34:10-28 Moses' face shines ................................................................................. 34:29-35 Offerings for the building of the tabernacle ............................................. 35:4 - 36:7 The building of the tabernacle ................................................................ 36:8 - 40:33 God's glory fills the tabernacle ................................................................ 40:34-38

EXODUS 1:1 78

delivery stools, if it is a son, then you must kill him; but if it is a daughter, then let her live." 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the boys alive. 18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, saving the boys alive?"

Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, each man and his household coming with Jacob: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob totaled seventy persons. But Joseph was already in Egypt.

19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives go in to them."

6 And Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and grew in number, and became exceedingly powerful, and the land was filled with them.

20 Therefore God was good to the midwives, and the people increased in number and became very strong. 21 And it came about, because the midwives feared God, that he enabled them to have families of their own.

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt who had not known Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more than we, and more powerful. 10 Come on, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they may increase in number, and it may happen, if any war breaks out, that they too will join our enemies and fight against us, and so get themselves out of the country."

22 And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every Hebrew son that is born you must throw into the river, and every daughter you must save alive."

And a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 And when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of reeds for him, coated it with tar and pitch, put the child in it and placed it among the water plants at the river's edge. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.

11 Therefore they put slave drivers over them to oppress them with their hard labour. And for Pharaoh they built treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they increased in number and grew. And they were in dread because of the children of Israel. 13 And the Egyptians forced the children of Israel to serve rigorously, 14 and made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, in brick, and in all kinds of labour in the field. All their service which they forced them to do was harsh.

5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river, and her maids were walking along by the river's side. And when she saw the basket among the water plants, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and just then the baby cried. And she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."

15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives (the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah), 16 and he said, "When you assist the Hebrew women to give birth, and see them on the

1:1-5 Gen 46:8-27. 1:6 Gen 50:26. 1:7 Gen 12:2; 28:3; 35:11; 46:3; 47:27; 48:4; Ps 105:24. "Children of Israel" – in Hebrew literally "sons of Israel"; but in Hebrew the word for son or sons has a wide range of meaning, and here obviously means the descendants of Israel, or the people of Israel, both male and female. 1:11-14 Long before, God told Abraham that this would happen – Gen 15:13. Sometimes the people of God are much mistreated, hated, afflicted, and persecuted in this world (Matt 10:21-23,34-39; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Rom 8:17; Heb 11:35-38; 1 Pet 4:1,12-19; 1 John 5:19). But see notes at Gen 50:20; Ps 66:1012; Rom 8:28; etc. 1:15 "Hebrew" – Gen 14:13. This was another name for a person of Israel. 1:17 "Feared God" – notes at Gen 20:11; Ps

34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 16:6; Acts 4:19; 5:29. 1:20,21 Prov 11:18; Eccl 8:12; Isa 3:10,11; Matt 10:42; Heb 6:10. 2:1 6:16,18,20. 2:2 "A fine child" – Acts 7:20; Heb 11:23. Here begins the story of one of the greatest persons of ancient times. His name, Moses, appears more than 800 times in the Bible. The Jews believed that he wrote the first five books of the Bible and there is very good reason for this belief given in the Bible itself (see Deut 31:9,22; Mark 12:19,26; Luke 24:27; John 1:45; 5:4547; 2 Cor 3:15). These first five books were sometimes called the Book of the Law of Moses. The law given at Sinai came through Moses and he is the representative of God's law throughout the Bible (Luke 2:22; 16:29; John 1:17; Acts 28:23). 2:4 "Sister" – her name was Miriam (15:20).

79 EXODUS 3:1

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, so that she may nurse the child for you?"

Midian. And he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and were drawing water and filling the troughs to water their father's flock, 17 and the shepherds came and drove them away. But Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." And the girl went and called the child's mother. 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." And the woman took the child, and nursed it. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, for she said, "Because I drew him out of the water."

18 And when they came to their father Reuel, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?"

19 And they said, "An Egyptian rescued us from the hand of the shepherds, and also drew enough water for us, and watered the flock."

20 And he said to his daughters, "And where is he then? Why have you left the man? Call him, so that he can eat bread."

11 And it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brothers and saw their hard labours. And he saw an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12 And he looked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no one around, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 And when he went out the second day, just then two Hebrew men were fighting with each other. And he said to the one who was in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew ?"

21 And Moses was content to stay with the man. And he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage. 22 And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land."

23 And in the process of time it came about that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel were groaning because of their bondage, and crying out, and their cry, resulting from their bondage, rose up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked on the children of Israel, and God had concern for them.

14 And he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me, like you killed the Egyptian?" And Moses was afraid, and said, "This thing must have become known."

Now Moses was pasturing the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert,

15 Now when Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh to stay in the land of

2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew word for "draw out" and probably means that. 2:11 Acts 7:23-25; Heb 11:24-26. This was the time of Moses's choice for God and God's people rather than for the pleasures and treasures of the world. In this he was a great example to us all – Matt 6:19-21; Luke 14:33; 1 John 2:15-17. "Brothers" – in Hebrew the word has a wide range of meaning. Here it means relatives, or people. 2:12-14 Acts 7:24-28. 2:15 "Fled" – he fled in faith, not in fear (Heb 11:27). The land of Midian was in the Sinai Peninsula. 2:17 Gen 29:3,10. 2:18 The priest of Midian had two names – Reuel and Jethro (or perhaps Jethro was a title). Reuel means "friend of God"; Jethro means "excellent." The Midianites were descended from Abraham (Gen 25:2). It is possible that Jethro was a worshiper of the one true God, the God of Abraham. 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for "a stranger there", and probably means that. 2:23-25 "Covenant" – Gen 12:1-3; 22:16-18; 26:2-5; 28:13-15; 33:18,19; Ps 105:8,42.

"Had concern for them" – God always hears the groans of His people and has compassion (Ex 6:5; 34:6,7; Jud 2:18; Ps 6:6-9; 38:9; 102:19,20; Isa 38:5; Rom 8:23,26). 3:1 Egypt was one of the most advanced civilizations of ancient times, and Moses was a man educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, powerful in words and deeds (Acts 7:22). He was in the prime of life, strong and manly, with a love for his people and a zeal for God. We might think he was fully equipped to lead Israel out of Egypt immediately. Evidently God thought otherwise. Moses spent 40 years in the desert (7:7 with Acts 7:23,30), and became a shepherd of his father-in-law's sheep. It seems that what he needed to know to become the deliverer, lawgiver, and leader of Israel could be learned only in loneliness, lowliness, and difficulties. While he was faithfully performing the lowly task of shepherding sheep God appeared to him to call him to a higher ministry.

Here are some other examples of this same truth: Gideon (Jud 6:11); David (1 Sam 16:1113); Elisha (1 Kings 19:19); Amos (Amos 7:14,15); Peter (Matt 4:18,19). At last God's time came to deliver His people from bondage and He leads Moses to mount Horeb (another

EXODUS 3:2 80

and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the middle of a bush. And he looked and saw that the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight. Why isn't the bush being burnt up?"

and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 And now, look, the cry of the children of Israel has reached me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are crushing them. 10 So now, come and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you can bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."

11 And Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses." And he said, "Here I am."

12 And he said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this will be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain."

5 And he said, "Do not come near here. Take your shoes off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 He also said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

13 And Moses said to God, "Look, when I go to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you', and they say to me, 'What is his name'? what shall I say to them?"

14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "You shall say this to the children of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

7 And the Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their slave drivers. For I know their sorrows, 8 and have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites

15 And God also said to Moses, "You shall say this to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and this is the name for remembrance to all generations.

name for Sinai). It is called "the mountain of God" because God would later reveal Himself there to His people in a wonderful way and give them His law. Exodus chapters 19-40; the whole of Leviticus, and chapters 1-10 of Numbers were given there.

LORD in v 15 (all capital letters) indicates the name "Jehovah" or (as some prefer to write it because it is closer to the Hebrew) "Yahveh", or "Yahweh". This name comes from the Hebrew word "to be", and means "I am" or "I will be." And "I am who I am" could also be translated "I will be what I will be." Jehovah is the eternally self-existing one. In the Hebrew Old Testament the name Jehovah is used more that 6,000 times. It is God's "memorial" name to be remembered by the Jews throughout all generations (Ps 135:13). The nature of Jehovah is revealed in Ex 34:6,7.

"Jethro" – note at 2:18. 3:2 "Angel" – note at Gen 16:7. "Bush" – Mark 12:26; Acts 7:30. "Fire" – in the Bible fire is sometimes a symbol of God's presence – 13:21; 19:18; Gen 15:17; Lev 9:24; Num 11:1-3; 16:35; Deut 4:11,12; 5:4; 9:3; 1 Kings 18:24,38; 1 Chron 21:26; 2 Chron 7:1; Ps 18:8; Isa 4:5; 33:14; Ezek 1:4; Mal 3:2,3; Heb 12:29. Fire speaks especially of God's complete holiness. But God never instructed men to worship fire, which is a symbol of God, but to worship only God who created fire and everything else. 3:4 Gen 22:11; 1 Sam 3:4. 3:5 Josh 5:15. 3:6 Acts 7:32; Jud 13:22; Rev 1:17. 3:7 2:25; Neh 9:9; Ps 106:44; Isa 63:9; Acts 7:34. 3:8 Gen 15:13,14; 50:24; Ex 6:6-8; 12:51. 3:11 Forty years previously Moses was sure God would use him to deliver Israel and tried to do so in his own way – Acts 7:25. Now he has learned humility (Ex 4:10,13; 6:12). 3:12 Gen 28:15; 31:3; Ex 4:12; 33:14-16; Josh 1:15; Isa 43:2; 57:15. 3:14,15 Here is one of God's important names: "I AM." Compare the phrase found in Rev 1:8 – "who is, and was, and is to come." The word

Some learned Jews translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek some two or three centuries before Christ. They translated Jehovah by the Greek word Kurios, which means Lord. "Lord" is used more than 700 times in the New Testament. In many places it is a translation of the name Jehovah (Matt 3:3 and Isa 40:3; Matt 4:7,10 and Deut 6:13,16; Acts 2:20,21 and Joel 2:31,32; Rom 4:8 and Ps 32:2; etc). Lord (Kurios) is the title given to Jesus Christ hundreds of times in the New Testament, and Christ used the words "I am" about Himself (John 8:24,28,58). The Jesus who appears in the New Testament is the incarnation of Jehovah of the Old Testament.

There are several compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament.

Jehovah Jireh – "Jehovah will provide" (Gen 22:13,14) Jehovah Rapha – "Jehovah who heals"

81 EXODUS 4:7

16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, I have certainly visited you and seen what is being done to you in Egypt, 17 and I have said, I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.'

clothing. And you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters, and so you will plunder the Egyptians."

And Moses answered and said, "But, look, they will not believe me, or obey my voice. For they will say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'"

2 And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A rod."

3 And he said, "Throw it on the ground." And he threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses ran away from it. 4 And the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand, and take it by the tail." And he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. 5 The LORD said "This is so that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

18 "And they will obey your voice, and you shall come to the king of Egypt, you and the elders of Israel, and you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now please let us go a three days' journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.' 19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except by a mighty hand. 20 And I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst. And after that he will let you go.

6 And again the LORD spoke to him, "Now put your hand inside your cloak." So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out he saw that his hand was leprous like snow.

21 "And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will come about that, when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall borrow from her neighbour, and from her who is staying a while in her house, ornaments of silver and ornaments of gold, and

7 And he said, "Put your hand inside your cloak again." And he put his hand inside his cloak again, and he drew it out from inside his cloak, and saw that it had been restored like his other flesh.

(Ex 15:26)

Jehovah, the God of Israel, was the true and only God (8:18,19). The miracles He did there were a judgment on the gods of Egypt (Ex 12:12). In the New Testament, at the beginning of this era, God performed many wonderful miracles to show that Christ's Gospel was true and that He was the Saviour of the world (Heb 2:4). Notes on miracles at Matt 8:1; Luke 16:31; John 2:11. 3:21,22 This would be in payment for the slavery and afflictions they had undergone at the hands of the Egyptians. It was divine justice at work as in Ezek 39:10; Hab 2:8. 4:1 God had said that they would listen (3:18), so Moses had no business making this excuse. 4:3-9 This is the first time in recorded Old Testament history that any man had been given the power to do miracles. 4:3,4 The serpent was the well-known emblem of the kings of Egypt (Pharaohs) who wore them on their crown. The Pharaohs themselves were regarded as divine. Now Moses is given power over Pharaoh. 4:5 This was the purpose of these signs. It was exceedingly important that the people of Israel believe Moses, the deliverer God was sending them. If they did not believe there would be no deliverance for them. Compare Josh 3:7; John 4:48; 5:36; 6:29; 8:24; 10:27,38. 4:6 The power to inflict and remove plagues was also given to Moses.

Jehovah Nissi – "Jehovah my banner" (Ex 17:8-15) Jehovah Shalom – "Jehovah is peace" (Jud 6:24)

Jehovah Tsidkenu – "Jehovah our righteousness" (Jer 23:6)

Jehovah Shammah – "Jehovah is present" (Ezek 48:35)

For notes on these names see the references given. In the New Testament Jesus is revealed completely fulfilling the meanings of all these names: Jireh (John 10:11, 17,18); Rapha (Matt 9:35); Nissi (Rom 8:37; 1 Cor 15:57); Shalom (Eph 2:14; Col 1:20); Tsidkenu (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21); Shammah (Matt 1:23; 28:20). Jesus showed Himself to be the great "I am" – the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). Comparison of other verses also reveals the identification of Jesus with Jehovah (for example, Ps 23:1 with John 10:11; etc). For other references see note at Luke 2:11. 3:16 Gen 28:13; 48:13. 3:17 Gen 50:24. 3:19 5:2. 3:20 "Hand" – 7:4,5; 9:15; 13:3,9,14. "Wonders" – 7:3; 10:2; 15:11; Deut 6:22; Neh 9:10; Ps 105:27; 135:9; Jer 32:20; Acts 7:36. Through miracles God showed His reality and power. Men's hearts are hard and unbelieving, and in this world there are so-called gods and lords innumerable. In Egypt God displayed such signs and miracles that it was plain to all that He,

"Leprous" – see note at Lev 13:1.

EXODUS 4:8 82

8 And the LORD said "It will come about that if they do not believe you, or pay attention to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the latter sign. 9 And it will be that if they do not believe even these two signs, or obey your voice, then you shall take some water from the river, and pour it on the dry ground. And the water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry ground."

Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also now he is coming to meet you. And when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And you shall speak to him, and put words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 And he will be your spokesman to the people. And he himself will be as a mouth for you, and you will be as God for him. 17 And you shall take this rod in your hand. You shall do signs with it."

10 And Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, not before this and not since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

18 And Moses left and returned to his fatherin-law Jethro, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

11 And the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who make the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12 So now go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say."

19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who tried to take your life are dead." 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

13 And he said, "O my Lord, please send the word by the hand of anyone else you want to send."

21 And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in your

14 And the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and he said, "Is not Aaron the

4:9 The Nile was (and is) the great river of Egypt. Most of Egypt's civilization and agriculture was along its banks. It was worshiped as divine. 4:10 Another unacceptable excuse. God does not need men's eloquence, but their obedience. 4:11 Ps 94:9; 146:8; Matt 11:5. 4:12 Deut 18:18; Isa 50:4; Jer 1:9; Matt 10:19,20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11,12; 21:14,15; John 14:26; 16:13. This is the way the whole Bible was inspired. God taught His prophets what to say, and breathed His thoughts into their minds. And He carried them along in their writing in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21). 4:13,14 Now Moses makes almost a flat refusal to go and God's anger burns against him because of it (compare Ps 90:7-11). Let us understand that Moses, great man that he was, had a sinful nature like all the rest of mankind (Rom 3:23), and needed God's grace to overcome it. If we refuse to do the will of God in spite of repeated urgings and commands and promises we too will be the objects of His anger. 4:15,16 7:1,2. 4:17 4:2. 4:18 3:1. 4:19 2:15,23. 4:20 18:2-4. 4:21 "Wonders" – 3:20; 11:9,10. "Harden" – in the next seven chapters twenty times the hardening of Pharaoh's heart is mentioned. Sometimes Pharaoh hardened his own heart, at other times God hardened Pharaoh's heart. God is the sovereign ruler of the universe and can do all things according to His own will (Rom 9:17,18; Eph 1:11). But God always has good reasons

for doing what He does. He is not an arbitrary, capricious deity who merely wants to show His sovereignty. Several reasons may be suggested as to why He hardened Pharaoh's heart.

First, Pharaoh was a godless, arrogant man who kept God's people in bondage and treated them cruelly. When faced with God's demands he hardened his own heart (8:15,32; 9:17,34). Hardening him further was God's way of judging and punishing him (compare Ps 18:25-27). Pharaoh was not a good man whom God made bad by hardening. He was a bad man whose badness was further revealed by hardening. It is not written anywhere in the Bible that God ever hardened a humble man, or a man who wanted to know God and serve Him.

A second reason why God hardened Pharaoh was that God sought an occasion to work His wonders in Egypt so that His people would believe and know Him (4:5,9; 6:7). It is very unlikely that they would have tried to leave Egypt if God had not revealed His power and love to them in a very striking way.

A third reason why God hardened Pharaoh was that He wanted His name (that is, His nature) to be known throughout the whole earth (9:16). This was not for His own good but for the good of humanity. The knowledge of God is the supreme knowledge men can gain. Indeed, eternal life consists in it (John 17:3). At different occasions God revealed different ones of His attributes – sometimes love, sometimes holiness, sometimes wisdom, etc. Here in Egypt He revealed His power, His severity toward the ungodly, and His mercy toward His people.

A fourth reason why God hardened Pharaoh was that He had decided to execute judgment

83 EXODUS 5:16

hand. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 And you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD: Israel is my son, my firstborn. 23 And I say to you, Let my son go so that he may serve me. And if you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"

met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, so that he will not attack us with plague or with the sword."

4 And the king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people away from their work? Get back to your labours." 5 And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land now are many, and you are making them rest from their labours."

24 And it happened at the inn along the way, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him, 25 but Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off her son's foreskin and threw it at his feet, and said, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me." 26 So the LORD let him alone. Then she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.

6 And that same day Pharaoh commanded the people's slave drivers, and their overseers, saying, 7 "You must not give the people straw to make brick any more, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you must put on them the same quota of bricks which they made before. You must not make it any less, for they are idle. So they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' 9 Let more work be put on the men, so that they will keep working and not pay attention to empty words."

27 And the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." And he went and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him to do.

29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel, 30 and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed. And when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked on their misery, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

10 And the people's slave drivers and their overseers went out and spoke to the people, saying, "Thus says Pharaoh: 'I will not give you straw. 11 You go and get your straw where you can find it. But none of your work will be reduced.'" 12 So the people were scattered throughout the whole land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the slave drivers hurried them, saying, "Complete your work, your daily tasks, just as when there was straw." 14 And the overseers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's slave drivers had put over them, were beaten and were asked,

And afterwards Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Let my people go so that they may hold a feast to me in the desert."

"Why have you not completed your task in making bricks both yesterday and today, as before?"

2 And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go."

15 Then the overseers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why are you treating your servants like this? 16 There is no

3 And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has

on the gods of Egypt (12:12). He showed the utter powerlessness of those false gods, and the vanity and uselessness of worshipping them. And this also was a very significant and important thing for God to do. 4:22 Isa 63:16; 64:8; Jer 31:9; Hos 11:1; Rom 9:4. 4:23 5:1; 11:5; 12:29. 4:24-26 Why would God think to kill the very person He planned to use to deliver His people from bondage? The answer is to be found in the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:914). At that time God gave circumcision as the sign of the covenant. Moses was disobedient to this command of God, and he was in danger until he obeyed – or made his wife obey. It seems that his wife may have been the stumbling-block to obedience. Of course, if God had really made much of an effort to kill Moses He could easily have done so. What He wanted was

to wake him up to an important duty. To get men to wake up and obey Him God may sometimes use very drastic measures. 4:27 4:15; 3:1. 4:29 3:16; 4:2-8. 4:30 4:15,16. 4:31 3:18; 4:8. 5:1,2 At first Moses did not demand that Pharaoh release Israel from bondage and let them leave Egypt. He asked only a simple thing. Pharaoh, in the hardness of his heart, would not grant even that. He did not know the true and only God and he did not want to know Him (compare 2 Kings 18:35; Job 21:14,15). Pharaoh is a picture of Satan, the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), who will not willingly or easily let his slaves (sinful men) go free. 5:4-9 Pharaoh wanted only to get as much work out of his slaves as possible. He thought all the words of Moses were false. He was determined to crush Israel

EXODUS 5:17 84

straw given to your servants, and they say to us, 'Make brick!' And, see, your servants are beaten. But the fault is with your own people."

strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."

2 And God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD, 3 and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but I did not make myself known to them by my name Jehovah. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, where they were foreigners. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.

17 But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.' 18 So go now and work. For no straw is going to be given to you; yet you must deliver the quota of bricks."

19 And the overseers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they were told, "You must not make any reduction from the bricks of your daily quota." 20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them when they came from Pharaoh, 21 and they said to them, "The LORD look on you, and judge. Because you have made us odious in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to kill us."

6 "Therefore say to the children of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments. 7 And I will take you for myself as a people, and I will be God to you, and you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for an inheritance. I am the LORD.'"

22 And Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have you treated this people so badly? Why is it that you have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a

9 And Moses told this to the children of Israel,

completely – vs 17,18. 5:19-21 The people of Israel were weak and unstable – sometimes believing God, sometimes not, sometimes praising and worshipping Him, sometimes complaining and murmuring against Him and Moses His servant. In other words, they were typical human beings, like us. Even Moses was affected by their discouragement – vs 22,23. God does not answer Moses's question "why"? He seldom does give an answer to it (Deut 29:29; Isa 55:9; John 13:7; the whole book of Job). 6:1 God announced victory for His people before the struggle began. Compare John 16:33; Rom 8:37; 1 Cor 15:57. 6:3 Some scholars have suggested that the last sentence in this verse could possibly be translated as a question: "Did I not reveal myself to them by my name Jehovah"? The name Jehovah comes very early in Genesis (2:5) and is used many times throughout that book. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob certainly knew that name. If we leave the translation in v 3 as it is, without putting a question mark (in the original Hebrew Old Testament there were no question marks anywhere even when questions were asked), the meaning would be this: God progressively gave revelation of Himself in the Bible, here some, there some, and little by little the full picture of who He is builds up. In the New Testament we have the full blaze of His revelation of Himself in Christ.

Jehovah then He did not reveal its meaning, and His people did not know what the name would eventually mean to them. Here in Exodus God began to reveal all that is meant by the great name of Jehovah (notes at 3:14,15; 33:19; 34:5-7). He reveals especially the relationship between the name Jehovah and the redemption of His people (vs 6-8). He reveals that Jehovah is the one who is faithful to fulfill His promises.

"God Almighty" – in Hebrew El-Shaddai – note at Gen 17:1. 6:4 Gen 15:18; 17:3-8; 26:3; 28:13. 6:5 2:24. 6:6 15:13; Deut 7:8; 1 Chron 17:21; John 8:31-36; Gal 1:3,4. 6:7 "People" – 19:5; Deut 4:20; 7:6; 2 Sam 7:24; 1 Pet 2:9,10. "God" – Gen 17:7; Ex 29:45; Lev 11:45; Deut 29:13; 2 Cor 6:17,18; Rev 21:3. "You will know" – 16:12; Isa 41:20; 49:23,26; 60:16; John 7:17; Eph 1:17-19; Phil 3:7-11. This is one great purpose God has in the revelation of Himself in His acts and in His Word. 6:8 Gen 15:18; 26:3. Five reasons are given in verses 6-8 and similar verses in Exodus for God's display of mighty power in Egypt.

First, to free His people from cruel bondage.

Second, to judge the ungodly of Egypt and their false gods.

Third, to show He was the God who keeps His promises and covenant.

In Genesis the emphasis is on His almightiness, His all-sufficiency for His people (Gen 17:1; 35:11; 48:3). Though God used His name of

Fourth, to show once and for all that He was the supreme and only God, far above all gods, lords and men (7:5; 10:1,2;

85 EXODUS 7:10

but because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage they did not listen to Moses.

Korahites.

25 And Aaron's son Eleazar took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11 "Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land."

26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring the children of Israel out from the land of Egypt according to their armies. 27 These were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out from Egypt. These are the same Moses and Aaron.

12 And Moses spoke in the LORD's presence, saying, "Look, the children of Israel have not listened to me. How then will Pharaoh, who is of uncircumcised lips, listen to me?"

13 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them an order for the children of Israel, and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

28 And it came about on the day that the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you."

14 These are the heads of their fathers' houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the families of Reuben.

15 And the sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the families of Simeon.

30 And Moses said in the presence of the LORD, "Look, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how will Pharaoh listen to me?"

And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that I may lay my hand on Egypt and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel from the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them."

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were an hundred and thirty-seven years.

17 The sons of Gershon were Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

18 And the sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were a hundred and thirty-three years.

19 And the sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations.

20 And Amram took as his wife Jochebed, his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years.

6 And Moses and Aaron did so. They did just as the LORD commanded them. 7 And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

21 And the sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

22 And the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri.

8 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle for yourselves', then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and throw it down before Pharaoh and it will become a snake.'"

23 And Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24 And the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families of the

10 And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did just as the LORD had commanded.

12:12). Fifth, to show that God was actively involved in the affairs of the world acting in behalf of His people (8:22,23). He was not a God afar off who had no concern for the affairs of men. God rules over the world (note at Ps 47:2).

2 Cor 5:18-20. "God" – the Hebrew could also be translated "a god", but it is very unlikely indeed that this is the meaning here. 7:3-5 Note at 4:21. It is of the greatest possible importance that men learn of the one true God. If they refuse to learn in a gentle, humble, obedient way, He may teach them in harsher ways. 7:9 Why would Pharaoh say such a thing? See note at v 11. 7:10 4:2-4.

"Uncircumcised lips" – he probably means his inability to speak clearly and fluently. 6:12 4:10; 6:30; Jer 1:6. 7:1 4:16. Moses was to be God's representative, acting for Him. Compare

EXODUS 7:11 86

And Aaron threw his rod down before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a snake. 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, and the magicians of Egypt also did the same thing with their magic spells. 12 For they all threw down their rods and they became snakes, but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

19 And the LORD spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron, Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and so that there may be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, both in wooden containers, and in stone containers."

20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded. And he lifted up the rod and struck the water that was in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the river turned to blood. 21 And the fish that were in the river died, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river. And there was blood throughout the whole land of Egypt.

14 And the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart has become hardened. He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Then he goes down to the water, and you shall stand on the river's bank waiting for his coming, and you shall take in your hand the rod that was turned into a snake. 16 And you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, Let my people go, so that they may serve me in the desert. Up until now you would not listen. 17 Thus says the LORD, You will know that I am the LORD by this: See, I will strike the water that is in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood. 18 And the fish that are in the river will die, and the river will stink, and the Egyptians will loathe drinking of the water of the river.'"

22 And the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their magic spells, and so Pharaoh's heart was hardened; he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house; he did not let his heart dwell on this either. 24 And all the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river.

25 And seven days passed after the LORD had

7:11 Pharaoh, if he had so desired, could have at least tried to put Moses and Aaron to death when they first came in behalf of Israel. Instead, it appears that he wanted a contest. No doubt he thought that the gods of Egypt were more powerful than the God of Israel and that his magicians could show tricks as impressive as anything Moses could do. Two of Egypt's magicians are named in 2 Tim 3:8,9. Some sorcerers and so-called "godmen" can display seeming wonders and show some sort of power, but it is not the power of the one true God. The Lord Jesus warned of false Christs and false prophets, followers of Satan, who would come and show great signs and wonders (see Matt 24:24,25; 2 Thess 2:8-10; Rev 13:13-15). Signs and wonders alone do not prove that the ones doing them are of God and speak the truth. They may be tricks of the magician's art or displays of Satanic power. 7:12 Here is the first indication to Pharaoh that Moses and Aaron were in touch with a greater power than Egypt's magicians. Their snakes were symbols of Pharaoh himself (note at 4:3,4). Actually, the magicians' "rods" may have been rigid snakes which started to move when released. Perhaps this was not an uncommon trick. If those magicians actually performed miracles, the power by which they did them was the power of Satan (compare 2 Thess 2:9). 7:13 Pharaoh refused to admit defeat so quickly. 7:17 "You will know" – the Lord had used

such words to Moses about the Egyptians, but this is the first time directly to Pharaoh himself. God accepted Pharaoh's challenge. He will show His power. God is not a bully who has a vain desire to show Himself stronger than everyone else. He does what He does that the truth might be understood and that men may come to know Him. Here He was giving a revelation of Himself for all time and for all people. 7:19-21 The Egyptians considered the Nile River divine and worshiped it. Also every morning they bathed their idols in clean water. Now God begins His judgments against the gods of Egypt (12:12). 7:22 Is it possible for magicians to do such a thing? And was there any clear water left in the river for them to do so? The Nile is a flowing stream and its water was constantly being renewed from its source upstream. The magicians were either able to turn some of it into blood, or made it seem that they did so. In either case the result was the same – Pharaoh's heart was hardened.

Observe that the magicians could not reverse the judgment of God on the waters of Egypt (or any of the judgments which follow); they could only try to imitate what Moses and Aaron did. If they had possessed great power, and had desired the good of the people, surely they would have tried to turn the blood back into clean water, and to deliver the land from the other plagues which followed. But they did not, and they could not.

87 EXODUS 8:23

struck the river.

Pharaoh, and Moses called out to the LORD, because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 2 And if you refuse to let them go, now I will plague all the land within your borders with frogs. 3 And the river will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and onto your bed, and into the house of your servants, and onto your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. 4 And the frogs will come up on both you and on your people and on all your servants.'"

16 And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the ground, so that it may become lice throughout the whole land of Egypt.'" 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the ground, and it became lice on man, and on beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout the whole land of Egypt. 18 And the magicians tried to bring out lice with their magic arts, but they could not. So there were lice on man and on beast.

5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.'"

6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 And the magicians did so with their magic arts and brought frogs up on the land of Egypt.

19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God!" But Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD so he will take away the frogs from me, and from my people, and I will let the people go, so that they may offer sacrifices to the LORD."

20 And the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh when he comes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Let my people go, so that they may serve me. 21 Otherwise, if you will not let my people go, look, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people, and into your houses, and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground where they are.

9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, "Get the honour instead of me. When will I pray for you and for your servants and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, so that they may remain only in the river?"

10 And he said, "Tomorrow." And he said, "Let it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 And the frogs will go away from you and from your houses and from your servants and from your people. They will remain only in the river."

22 "'And on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, to the end that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. 23 And I will put a division between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.'"

12 And Moses and Aaron went out from

8:1 The Hebrew word for "serve" also means "worship." In all ages God brings His people out of the bondage of sin that they might both serve and worship Him (John 4:23; Rom 12:1; Rev 22:3,4). 8:2 The frog was also connected with the most ancient forms of idolatry in Egypt. 8:6 Ps 105:30. 8:7 The magicians seemed equal to the challenge. 8:8 Evidently the magicians could not remove the frogs with their secret arts. They could add to the severity of the plagues but could not offer any cure. Pharaoh now shows his first sign of weakness. 8:9,10 "There is no one like the LORD our God" – this word of Moses was a plain challenge to the Egyptians. God would show himself far superior to their gods.

8:15 The wicked always want relief from their difficulties, but they do not want to love and serve the true God. 8:16 "Lice" – the Hebrew word is obscure in meaning and may possibly mean "gnats" or "mosquitoes." The Egyptians worshiped not only a Nile River god but a god of the land as well. Here the plague arises out of the land itself. God showed His power over the earth by creating living things from dust. 8:18,19 The magicians could not create anything and so failed here. They were convinced that God was at work through Moses. This was a very significant admission, but Pharaoh would not listen. 8:22,23 The true God would give further evidence that He was the God of Israel and that He was there with them. He will always make a distinction between those who serve

EXODUS 8:24 88

24 And the LORD did so. A great swarm of flies came into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses and into all the land of Egypt. The land was ruined because of the swarm of flies.

sheep. 4 And the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing will die of all that belongs to the

children of Israel.'"

25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God inside the country."

5 And the LORD appointed a definite time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land." 6 And the LORD did that very thing the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died. But not one of the livestock of the children of Israel died. 7 And Pharaoh sent and saw that there was not one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

26 And Moses said, "It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what the Egyptians regard as an abomination, and, see, when we sacrifice what the Egyptians regard as an abomination will they not stone us? 27 We will go a three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, just as he commands us."

8 And the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle them toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And they will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt which will become boils breaking out in sores on man and on animal, throughout the whole land of Egypt."

28 And Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the desert. But you must not go very far away. Pray for me."

29 And Moses said, "See, I am going out from you, and I will pray to the LORD that tomorrow the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."

10 And they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses sprinkled them up toward the sky, and they became boils breaking out in sores on man and on animal. 11 And the magicians could not stand in the presence of Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had told Moses.

30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses, and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. 32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; he would not let the people go.

13 And the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him: 'Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues on your heart and on your servants and on your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For if by now I had stretched out my hand to strike you and your people with plague, you would have been destroyed from the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose,

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, 3 then the hand of the LORD will bring a very severe plague on your livestock that is in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the

9:4 8:22,23. 9:6 The gods of the Egyptians were powerless in the face of God's judgments and were unable to prevent such a calamity to some of the peoples' prized and essential possessions. 9:7 Pharaoh knew it was God at work but he would not submit to Him (compare Dan 5:22,23). 9:8 The Egyptians worshiped a god of the air also. Jehovah now shows He is the master over the regions of the air. 9:11 7:11; 8:18,19. This is the last mention of the magicians in Exodus. This is an indication of their crushing defeat. 9:12 Note at 4:21. 9:14 8:10. 9:16 4:21; 6:7; 7:5; Rom 9:17. The report of God's deliverance of His people from

and worship Him and those who worship other gods, but not in just the way He then distinguished between them in Egypt.

"Put a division" – the KJV here follows the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament). The Hebrew has "I will put a deliverance." 8:25-28 Pharaoh wanted Israel to remain in the land, or at least in reach of his armies. But, of course, he wanted also to be relieved of his difficulties.

"Pray for me" – he began to see something of the truth. 8:32 Verse 15. Now Pharaoh reveals the incredible stubbornness of fallen, sinful human nature (Rom 1:21; 8:6,7,8). Knowing the truth is not enough. There must be a heart to obey it. 9:1 8:1.

89 EXODUS 10:6

to show you my power, and to have my name declared throughout the whole earth. 17 Still you are exalting yourself over my people and will not let them go. 18 Now tomorrow about this time, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been in Egypt from its establishment until now. 19 Therefore send now and gather your livestock, and all that you have in the field. For the hail will fall on every man and animal that is found in the field that is not brought home, and they will die.'"

the LORD, and the thunder shall cease, and there will not be any more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD's. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the LORD God."

31 And the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the rye were not struck, for they had not grown.

33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and hail stopped, and rain no longer poured on the earth. 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had stopped, he continued to sin, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the children of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

20 Among the servants of Pharaoh, those who feared the word of the LORD got his servants and his livestock to run into the houses. 21 But those who did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and on animal, and on every plant in the field, throughout the land of Egypt." 23 And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along on the ground, and the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail and fire mixed with the hail, very heavy. There had not been anything like it in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 And in the whole land of Egypt the hail struck all that was in the field, both man and animal. The hail also struck every plant in the field, and shattered every tree in the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

And the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, so that I might show these signs of mine among them, 2 and so that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, what things I have accomplished in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them so that you may know that I am the LORD."

3 And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may serve me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, then tomorrow I will bring the locusts into your territory, 5 and they will cover the face of the land, so that one will not be able to see the land. They will eat the rest of what escaped, which is left to you from the hail, and will eat every plant which grows for you out of the field, 6 and they will fill

27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28 Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of this mighty thundering and hail, and I will let you go, and you will stay no longer."

29 And Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to

Egypt spread to many places (15:14-16). Jethro in Midian heard (18:4). Balaam, who lived far away at the Euphrates river, also knew of it (Num 23:22,23; 24:8). Rahab in the land of Canaan knew of it (Josh 2:911). Today people know of it wherever the Bible is read. 9:17 Pharaoh's pride and arrogance were his undoing (10:3). Compare Ps 101:5; 119:21; Prov 16:18; 21:4; Luke 1:51; Jam 4:6. 9:20,21 Prov 13:13. 9:23,24 Jehovah showed himself as the master of the powers of nature. The storm god of the Egyptians was seen to be powerless. 9:26 Verse 4; 8:22,23; 9:4. 9:27 Even Pharaoh says he has sinned (10:16). In the Bible this is a common admission (Num 14:40; 22:34; Josh 7:20; 1 Sam 15:24; 2 Sam 12:13; 24:10; Matt 27:4). But the confession must be sincere and accompanied with repentance and a

turning to God; otherwise it is worthless. Pharaoh's was worthless. See real confession and repentance in Psalm 51. 9:28 8:8,28. 9:29 The earth belongs to the LORD, the God of Israel, and not to some god or other (19:5; 20:11; Ps 24:1; 50:10-12; 89:11; 1 Cor 10:26). 9:30 Moses saw Pharaoh's self-deception and insincerity. 9:34,35 8:15,31,32. The fact is Pharaoh never wanted to know the truth or the true God. In the heart of man there is deadly enmity toward God (John 3:19,20; 15:24,25; Rom 1:30; 8:7; James 4:4). Pharaoh displayed this hatred to the full. 10:1 4:21; 7:5. 10:2 God did what He did so that future generations also might come to know the Lord. 10:3 9:17.

EXODUS 10:7 90

your houses, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians. This neither your fathers, nor your grandfathers have seen, since the day that they came on the earth to this day.'" And he turned around and left Pharaoh.

the trees which the hail had left. And in all the land of Egypt, among the trees, or among the plants in the field, nothing green remained.

16 Then Pharaoh quickly called for Moses and Aaron and he said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 So now please forgive my sin only this once, and pray to the LORD your God to only take away this death from me."

7 And Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you still not know that Egypt is destroyed?"

18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to the LORD. 19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and drove them into the Red sea. Not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.

8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God. But who are those who will go?"

9 And Moses said, "We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters. We will go with our flocks and with our herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD."

21 And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may be felt." 22 And Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 For three days they did not see each other; nor did anyone get away from his place. But all the children of Israel had light in their homes.

10 And he said to them, "Let the LORD be with you, if I ever let you and your little ones go! Watch out, for trouble is before you! 11 Not like that; you who are men go and serve the LORD, for that's what you wanted." And they were driven away from Pharaoh's presence.

12 And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left."

24 And Pharaoh called for Moses and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only leave your flocks and your herds behind. Let your little ones also go with you."

13 And Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night, and when morning came the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and settled on all the territory of Egypt, a very great many. There were never such locusts before, nor will there be such after them. 15 For they covered the surface of the ground everywhere, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every plant in the land, and all the fruit of

25 And Moses said, "You must allow us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock also will go with us. Not a hoof will be left behind. For we must take from them to serve the LORD our God, and we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord."

27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. 28 And Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Watch out for

10:7 Even now when his officials give him this advice Pharaoh refused to submit to God. 10:8-11 Pharaoh wanted to keep his hold on them through their children. 10:16,17 Another insincere confession. He wanted relief from the plague but he did not want to submit to God. 10:21,22 The chief god of the Egyptians then was Ra (or Re), the sun god. Now this god too was shown to be helpless. 10:23 8:22,23; 9:4,26. 10:24-26 Pharaoh wanted to retain his hold on them through their property. Pharaoh made four attempts to get Moses to compromise. He said first "stay in the land and sacrifice" (8:25); then "don't go far from the land" (8:28); then "only men may go" (10:10,11); finally he said they had to "leave flocks and herds behind" (10:24). Moses' answer was clear – "not a hoof is to be left behind."

Now, too, God wants His people to be spiritually delivered completely from this evil world (John 17:14-16; Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 6:17; Gal 1:4; 1 Pet 2:9-12; 1 John 2:15-17). Egypt is a type of this world, the kingdom of Satan, a picture of sin's bondage from which God would redeem us. Pharaoh, a god in Egypt, is a picture of Satan. Now, as than, forces hostile to God would try to keep His people tied to the world. Believers must learn to say with Moses "not the tiniest part of who we are or what we have shall be left behind. Nothing shall remain in Satan's control. With our wives, our children and all our possessions we will serve the Lord." 10:28 Pharaoh here ends the contest with Moses and has to admit defeat. His magicians have failed, his attempts at compromise have failed, and Egypt's gods have failed. All that is left for him is to make threats (compare Acts 4:15-22; 7:54-58).

91 EXODUS 12:7

yourself! See my face no more, for on the day you see my face you will die."

the people who follow you.' And after that I will go."

29 And Moses said, "You have well spoken. I will not see your face again."

And, burning with anger, he had gone out from Pharaoh.

9 And the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt." 10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

And the LORD had said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that he will let you go from here. And when he lets you go, he will in fact drive you out of here altogether. 2 Now speak in the hearing of the people, and have each man ask his neighbour, and each woman her neighbour, for silver ornaments and gold ornaments." 3 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 "This month is to be for you the beginning of months; it is to be the first month of the year for you. 3 Speak to the whole congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month each man among them is to take for himself a lamb for a father's house, a lamb for each household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, let him and his neighbour nearest to his house take it according to the number of persons there are. Make your estimate for the lamb in accordance with what each person eats. 5 Your lamb is to be without blemish, a male of the first year. You are to take it from the sheep, or from the goats, 6 and you are to keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill them in the evening. 7 And they are to take some of the blood, and put it on both side posts and on the upper beam of the door of the houses where they

4 And Moses had said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD: 'About midnight I will go out among Egypt's people, 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the servant girl who is behind the millstones, and all the firstborn of animals. 6 And there will be a great cry throughout the whole land of Egypt. Never was there one like it, and never again will there be. 7 But not a dog will move its tongue against any of the children of Israel, against man or beast, so that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.' 8 And all these servants of yours will come to me, and bow down before me, saying, 'Go, you and all

people is inevitable. 12:1-3 This is one of the key chapters of the Old Testament. In it God shows His people that their redemption comes only by blood sacrifice. So important was this time in Israel that they started dating their year from this month. This Hebrew month (based on the movement of the moon) had two names – Abib and Nisan – and fell sometime during our months of March and April. It was an entirely new beginning for the people of Israel. This whole chapter is highly symbolic. See also Lev 23:5. The sacrificial lamb signifies Christ who shed His blood to redeem men (John 1:29,36; Matt 26:28; Eph 1:7; Heb 9:22; Rev 5:9,12). 12:5 This speaks of Christ's sinless perfection (Lev 1:10; 22:18-21; Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:18-20). 12:6 The lamb was kept four days to make sure there was no defect in it. Before Christ died on the cross, during His period of temptation and trial His life proved to be sinless (Heb 4:15; 7:26). 12:7 Verses 22,23. The blood had to be applied to each house. Otherwise it accomplished nothing. Christ's blood shed for sinners does not save any person until he or she personally trusts Him for salvation.

But threats do not change the truth. And the truth is this: Jehovah, the God of Israel, the God of the Bible is the true and only God, and the gods of Egypt and other nations were not and are not. 10:29 11:8. 11:2 3:22. 11:3 3:21; Deut 34:10-12. 11:4,5 The Egyptians worshiped gods who were supposed to give life and to destroy life. But now Jehovah reveals that it is He and not those gods who has the power of life and death in His hands. See 1 Sam 2:6; Gen 38:7; Ps 33:18,19; Matt 10:28; Rev 1:18. 11:7 8:22,23; 9:4,26; 10:23. 11:9 7:4. 11:10 This record of God's judgment on Pharaoh and the Egyptians shows that seeing even the greatest miracles in itself cannot change the heart of man. Outward miracles cannot break his stubborn will. Human pride and hardness of heart are amazing, audacious and unreasonable in the extreme. Compare Ps 78:17,32-42. This is seen also in the time of the Lord Jesus. Many who saw His mighty miracles failed to repent and believe and obey Him. See what He said in Luke 16:31. The judgment of God on such

EXODUS 12:8 92

are going to eat it. 8 And that very night they are to eat the meat roasted with fire, and they are to eat it with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw, or even boiled in water, but roasted with fire, its head with its legs, and with its inner parts. 10 And you are to let none of it remain until morning, and you are to burn in the fire what does remain of it until morning. 11 And this is how you are to eat it: with your waist bound, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you are to eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover.

yeast. On the very first day you are to put away yeast from your houses, for whoever eats bread made with yeast from the first day until the seventh day, that person is to be cut off from Israel. 16 And on the first day you are to have a holy convocation, and on the seventh day you are to have another holy convocation. On those days no kind of work is to be done, except what must be eaten by everyone; that alone may be prepared by you.

17 "And you are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I

12 "For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. And I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 And the blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague will not be on you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you are to observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever. 18 On the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you are to eat bread made without yeast, until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month. 19 For seven days there is to be no yeast found in your houses, for whoever eat anything that is made with yeast, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a foreigner, or someone born in the land. 20 You must not eat anything made with yeast. You are to eat bread made without yeast in all your dwelling

14 "So this day shall be to you a memorial, and you are to keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You are to keep it as a feast by ordinance for all time. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without

12:12 God was judging not only the Egyptians but their gods as well. God is against the gods. Egypt had gods representing the air, the land, various animals, the Nile river, the sun, etc. God had already showed He was the absolute master of the Nile (7:20,21), the land (8:16,17), the animal kingdom (9:2,6), the air (9:8,9,2224), and the sun (10:21,22). Now He shows that life and death are in His hands, and that no "god" has anything to do with it. Practically every Egyptian god was represented by some beast or other. The true God shows their powerlessness by slaying the firstborn of every beast as well as that of every man. Vain and foolish had been the worship of those gods, gods so powerless to help. Compare Ps 115:3-8. 12:13 The blood was their one and only protection from God's wrath and judgment. So now the blood of Christ cleanses the believer from all sin and thus protects him from God's coming judgment on sinners (Rom 3:23-26; Heb 9:14,28; 1 Pet 1:19; 1 John 1:7; Rev 1:5). And this is the only way of protection. Note on the Passover at Lev 23:5. 12:14 Lev 23:4,5; 2 Kings 23:21. 12:15 Ex 12:8; 13:6,7; 23:15; 34:18; Lev 23:6; Num 28:17; Deut 16:3,8. Seven is a very significant number in the Bible. It is the number of fullness or completeness. Here it signifies a complete period of time – our whole life on earth. 12:16 Lev 23:7,8; Num 28:18,25. 12:17 Verse 41.

12:8 Matt 26:26; John 6:51-58,63; 1 Cor 5:7. Eating here signifies a spiritual reality. The people of Israel literally ate the lamb. Believers in Christ spiritually partake of Christ. That is, they believe His flesh and blood were sacrificed for them on the cross, they receive Him into their hearts by faith, they meditate on His person and work for them. In this way He becomes their food.

"Bread made without yeast" - This signifies Christ in His sinlessness as the food of His people (see notes at John 6:35,48-51). In the Bible yeast often signifies evil (Matt 16:6,11; 1 Cor 5:6-8; Gal 5:9). "Bitter herbs" may possibly signify the bitterness of the experiences that Christ endured for us (Isa 53:3,4). 12:9 The lamb was not to be divided (v 46; John 19:33,36). Fire signifies the holiness of God which consumes the offering. The offering was accepted in the place of sinners. Water could not be used, for, it would have lessened the power of the fire. At Calvary the Lord Jesus experienced the full power of God's fiery wrath against sin. 12:10 34:25. The symbolic meaning may be this: the sacrifice of Christ was once forever. Those who by faith partake of it are saved forever (Heb 10:12,14). 12:11 They were to be ready for travel to the land of Canaan. The believer now, having partaken of the Lamb of God, should always be ready for his pilgrim journey here, and ready to move on to the next world (Luke 12:35-40).

93 EXODUS 12:48

places."

33 And the Egyptians urged the people, to get them out of the land in a hurry, for they said, "We are all dead men." 34 And the people took their dough before yeast was put in it, and carried their kneading bowls on their shoulders, wrapped up in their clothes. 35 And the children of Israel did what Moses had said; they asked the Egyptians for silver ornaments and gold ornaments and clothing. 36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they requested. And in this way they plundered the Egyptians.

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go out and take a lamb for yourselves on behalf of your families, and kill the Passover. 22 And you are to take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and put the blood that is in the basin on the upper beam of the door and the two side posts. And none of you is to go out the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will go through the land to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the upper beam and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.

37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 And a mixed multitude also went up with them, and flocks, and herds, a great amount of livestock. 39 And they baked flat bread without yeast with the dough which they brought out of Egypt. Yeast was not put in it because they were driven out of Egypt, and could not delay. And they had not prepared any food for themselves.

24 "And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for yourselves and for your sons forever. 25 And it is to come about that when you have come to the land which the LORD will give you as he has promised, you must keep this ceremony. 26 And when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this ceremony'? 27 then you must say, 'It is the sacrifice of the Passover of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.'" And the people bowed their heads and worshipped. 28 And the children of Israel went and did so; they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.

40 Now the length of time the children of Israel stayed in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came about at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on the very day it came about, that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be much observed for the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is the LORD's night, to be observed by all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

29 And it came about at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner is to eat of it, 44 but every man's slave who is bought with money is to eat of it, after you have circumcised him. 45 A foreigner or a hired servant is not to eat of it.

31 And during the night he called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Get out from the midst of my people, both you and the children of Israel, and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds also, as you have said, and be gone! And bless me also."

46 "It must be eaten in the same house; you are not to carry any of the meat out of the house. And you must not break a bone of it. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall celebrate it.

48 "And when a foreigner stays among you, and wants to keep the LORD's Passover, all the

12:23 The destroyer was the angel God sent to execute judgment (v 12). 12:26 It is very important that parents instruct their children concerning what God has done for them (10:2; 13:8,14,15; Deut 6:6,7,20,21; 32:7; Josh 4:6; Ps 78:5,6). 12:27 Verses 11,12,23. 12:28 Their faith in God's word caused them to apply the blood to the doorposts (Heb 11:28). So now faith will cause us to apply the truth of Christ's sacrifice to ourselves. 12:29 Num 8:17; 33:4; Ps 135:8; 136:10. 12:30 11:6.

12:31,32 11:1. This was the closest Pharaoh ever came to humbling himself and repenting, but it was short-lived and utterly self-centered. 12:33 10:7. 12:35,36 3:21,22; 11:2,3; Ps 105:37. 12:37,38 A total probably not less than 20 lakhs (2,000,000). Compare Gen 46:27. 12:43 No foreigner, that is, no one who was not in covenant relationship with the Lord, no one who had not received the covenant sign of circumcision, was to partake (v 48). 12:46 Num 9:12; Ps 34:20; John 19:33,36. 12:47 Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:23-26.

EXODUS 12:49 94

males in his household must be circumcised, and then let him come near and celebrate it. Then he will be like one who is born in the land, but no uncircumcised person is to eat of it. 49 There is to be one law for him who is native born and for the foreigner who is staying among you."

you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you are to set apart for the LORD the all of the first offspring of the womb, and every firstborn that comes of any animal you have. The males are to belong to the LORD. 13 And every firstborn of a donkey you are to redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, then you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of man among your children you are to redeem.

50 All the children of Israel did this; they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And it came about on that very day that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

14 "And in time to come, it will be like this: when your son asks you, saying, 'What is this?' you are to say to him, 'The LORD by the strength of his hand brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 15 And it happened that when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of animal. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the firstborn of the womb that are males, but I redeem the firstborn of all my children. 16 And it is to be like a sign on your hand, and as a symbol between your eyes. For the LORD brought us out of Egypt by the strength of his hand.'"

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Sanctify for me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both man and animal. It is mine."

3 And Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for the LORD brought you out from this place by the strength of his hand. No bread made without yeast is to be eaten. 4 You came out this day in the month of Abib. 5 And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you are to observe this ceremony in this month. 6 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day there is to be a feast to the LORD. 7 Bread made without yeast is to be eaten for seven days, and no bread with yeast is be seen with you, nor is yeast to be seen among you within all your borders.

17 And it came about that when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, "The people should not change their minds by seeing war, and return to Egypt." 18 But God led the people around by the way of the desert of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up from the land of Egypt, armed for battle.

19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the children of Israel swear a solemn oath, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you must carry my bones away from here with you."

8 And on that day you are to tell your son, saying, 'This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' 9 And it will be for you like a sign on your hand, and like a reminder between your eyes, so that the LORD's law may be in your mouth. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. 10 So you are to keep this ordinance in its time from year to year.

20 And they set out from Succoth, and camped in Etham, at the edge of the desert. 21 And by day the LORD went before them in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, so that they could travel by day and night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, were not taken away from their place in front of the people.

11 "And it will be like this : when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to

12:49 Lev 24:22; Num 15:15,16,29. 13:2 22:19; Lev 27:26; Num 3:13; 18:15; Deut 15:19; Luke 2:23. 13:3 12:42; Deut 16:3. 13:5 Gen 15:18; 26:3. 13:8 12:26; Ps 44:1. 13:9 12:14; 13:16; Num 15:39; Deut 6:8; 11:18. 13:13 Redeem here means to release by offering a sacrifice to the Lord. The Lord Jesus redeemed His people, released them from their sins, by the sacrifice of Himself (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Heb 9:12; 1 Pet 1:18;

Rev 5:9). 13:17,18 God knew how weak, unbelieving, and unstable the people of Israel were and led them in His wisdom by the best possible way. Compare Deut 32:9-12; Ps 23:2; John 10:2-4,14. 13:19 Gen 50:24,25; Josh 24:32; Heb 11:22. 13:21 14:19,24; 33:9,10; Num 9:15; 14:14; Deut 1:33; Neh 9:12; Ps 78:14; 99:7; 105:39; Isa 4:5. Note on fire at 3:2. 13:22 Neh 9:19; Ps 48:14; Isa 58:11.

95 EXODUS 14:24

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Tell the children of Israel to turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon. You are to camp facing it, by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say about the children of Israel, 'They are confused in the terrain, the desert has hemmed them in.' 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he follows them, and I get glory through Pharaoh, and through all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so.

us to serve the Egyptians, than to die in the desert."

13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show you today. As for the Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see them again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you will keep silent."

15 And the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward, 16 and raise your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it. And the children of Israel will go on dry ground through the middle of the sea. 17 And I, I myself, will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will follow them, and I will get honour for myself through Pharaoh and through his whole army and through his chariots and through his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten honour for myself through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his horsemen."

5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and they said, "Why have we done this, letting Israel go from our service?" 6 And he prepared his chariot, and took his people with him. 7 He took six hundred choice chariots, and all the other chariots in Egypt, with officers over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel. And the children of Israel were going out with hand raised high. 9 But the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army; and they overtook them camping by the sea, near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

19 And the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud went from in front of them and stood behind them, 20 and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. It was a cloud and darkness to them, but at night it gave light to these, so that the whole night the one did not come near the other.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel raised their eyes, and there were the Egyptians marching after them, and they were very frightened. And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 And they said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have you taken us away to die in the desert? Why have you treated us like this, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we tell you this very thing in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone, so that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to move back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on dry ground, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued them, and went into the middle of the sea after them, all of Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And it came about that in the morning watch the LORD

41:10,13,14. 14:14 Verse 25; 15:3. 14:15 There are times when mere prayer without action is out of place and God's people must simply go forward in obedience to His command. 14:16 4:17,20; 7:19. 14:17,18 4:21. 14:19 13:21. Note on angel at Gen 16:7. 14:20 We can see from this that the pillars of cloud and fire were no small things but very massive indeed. 14:21,22 This marvelous event was remembered ever after in Israel – 15:8; Neh 9:11; Ps 66:5,6; 74:13; 78:13; 106:8,9; 136:13-15. All things are under God's control and He uses means – wind, sea, rain and sun, etc – to accomplish His purposes. 14:23-25 Verse 14.

14:4 Note at 4:21. 14:5 12:30-32. 14:8 Num 33:3. 14:9 "Horsemen" (also vs 17,18,23,26,28) – the Hebrew for this word may mean "charioteers" also. 14:10 Josh 24:7; Neh 9:9; Ps 34:17; 106:7. 14:11,12 "Said" – 5:21; 15:24; 16:2; Num 14:1-4; Ps 106:7. "Better" – 32:9; 34:9; Deut 9:7; 31:27. The people of Israel believed and worshipped God when things seemed to be going well, but murmured and complained when things seemed to be going badly. They did not realize that difficulties were to test and strengthen their faith and give God further opportunities to display His power and grace. 14:13 20:20; 2 Chron 20:15,17; Isa

EXODUS 14:25 96

looked at the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and threw the army of the Egyptians into confusion, 25 and he caused their chariot wheels to come off, so that they drove them with difficulty. So the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the face of Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians."

my father's God, and I will

exalt him. 3 The LORD is a warrior. The LORD is his name. 4 Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has thrown into the sea. His chosen officers also are drowned

in the Red sea. 5 The depths covered them. They sank to the bottom

26 And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may come back on the Egyptians on their chariots and on their horsemen." 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and when morning came the sea returned to its place, and the Egyptians were fleeing against it, and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. 28 And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not one of them remained.

like a stone. 6 Your right hand, O LORD, was glorious in power. Your right hand, O LORD, dashed the

enemy in pieces. 7 And in the greatness of your excellence you overthrew those who rose up

against you. You sent out your wrath, and it consumed them like

stubble. 8 And with the blast of your nostrils the waters gathered together, the floods stood upright like a heap,

29 But the children of Israel walked on dry ground in the middle of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 In this way the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 And Israel saw the great power that the LORD used on the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and his servant Moses.

and the depths congealed in the

heart of the sea.

9 "The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying:

10 "You blew with your wind, the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty

"I will sing to the LORD,

for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown

waters.

into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will glorify him,

11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?

14:27,28 15:1,7; Deut 11:4; Neh 9:11; Ps 78:53. God knew how to deal with a proud, ungodly ruler and his ungodly armies which persecuted His people, and it was just and right for God to do as He did. Note at Num 31:2. See also Prov 1:24-31; 29:1; 2 Thess 1:5-10. 14:29 Heb 11:29. 14:31 4:31; Ps 106:12. But even then their faith was weak and wavering. 15:1 Ps 106:12; Rev 15:3; Isa 12:5; 42:10. 15:2 Ps 18:1; Isa 12:2; Hab 3:18,19; 2 Sam 22:47; Ps 99:5; Isa 25:1. 15:3 14:14; Deut 1:30; 3:22; 20:4; Josh 23:10; Rev 19:11. The Lord fights for truth and justice and overthrows the arrogant and

ungodly.

"Warrior" – here the KJV has "man of war", thus having the Israelites speak as though Jehovah God were a man. The expression "man of" in Hebrew was a common way of speaking to indicate anyone (human or not) who had the quality revealed in the word that followed. 15:4 14:6,7,17,18. 15:5 Neh 9:11. 15:6 "Hand" – 3:20; 6:1; Ps 16:11; 102:25; 118:15,16; 119:73; Isa 59:1. 15:7 Ps 78:49,50; Isa 5:24; Heb 12:29. 15:9 14:5,8,9. 15:10 14:21. 15:11 "Who is like you" – 8:10; 9:14. There were many who are called gods and lords in the world of that day, as in our day, but

97 EXODUS 15:26

Who is like you, glorious in holiness,

19 For the horse of Pharaoh along with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought the waters of the sea back on them; but the children of Israel went on dry ground in the middle of the sea. 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.

awe-inspiring in praises,

doing wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. 13 In your mercy you led out the people whom you redeemed. You will guide them in your strength

21 And Miriam answered them,

to your holy dwelling place. 14 The peoples will hear and be afraid. Sorrow will take hold of the

"Sing to the LORD,

for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown

inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be amazed. The mighty men of Moab will be seized

into the sea."

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the desert of Shur, and went three days in the desert and found no water. 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What will we drink?"

with trembling. All the inhabitants of Canaan will

melt away. 16 Fear and dread will fall on them. By the greatness of your arm they will

be as still as a stone, until your people pass over, O LORD, until the people whom you have bought

25 And he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them,

pass over. 17 You will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your

inheritance; in the place, O LORD, which you have

26 And said, "If you carefully listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his decrees, I will put none of these diseases on you, which I brought on the

made for you to live in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord,

which your hands have established. 18 The LORD will reign for ever and ever."

Jehovah showed His vast superiority to them all. The gods of Egypt are no longer worshiped; the gods of ancient Babylon, of Greece, of Rome have long since been discarded. Jehovah, the God of the Bible, the Creator of the universe, lives and continues to perform His wonderful works. Deut 3:24; 2 Sam 7:22; 1 Kings 8:23; Ps 71:19; 86:8; Mic 7:18.

15:19 14:27-29. "Horsemen" – or "charioteers." 15:20,21 2:4; Num 26:59; Mic 6:4. Miriam is the first prophetess mentioned in the Bible. Note at Gen 20:7. 15:22-24 Ps 77:20; 78:52,53. Evidently there was a spring at Marah. The Hebrew word "marah" means bitter. This was the first test of Israel after the mighty display of God's power and love at the Red Sea. Through Moses He Himself led them to Marah. They pathetically failed the test and began to grumble – not for the first or last time (14:11; 16:2; Num 14:2; 16:41; Ps 106:13; 1 Cor 10:10,11). They were always speaking to Moses instead of to God. When our supplies fail to whom do we speak? Does our faith in God fail with our failing supplies? 15:25 The tree which healed the waters can remind believers now that the cross of Christ can take the bitterness out of life's trials and difficulties and turn them into satisfying experiences (Gal 3:13; Rom 15:4; 1 Pet 1:6,7; 4:1,12,13). "He tested them" – compare 16:4; Deut 8:2,16; Jud 2:22; 3:1,4; Ps 66:10-12. 15:26 "If" – a promise with conditions. Some

"Holiness" – Lev 19:2; Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8; 1 Pet 1:14-16 (note at Lev 20:7). "Wonders" – Job 5:9; Ps 72:18; 77:14; 86:10; 136:4. These are some of the lessons God was teaching Israel (and would teach us) by His dealings in Egypt. 15:13 "Mercy" – in the midst of judgments on the ungodly God shows His love to those who believe and serve Him.

"Holy dwelling" – Jerusalem (Zion) – Ps 9:11; 76:2; 78:54; 132:13; 135:21. 15:14-16 "Peoples" – 9:16; Deut 2:25; Josh 2:9-11.

"Bought" – Ps 74:2; Isa 43:1; Jer 31:11; Titus 2:14; 2 Pet 2:1. 15:17 Ps 2:6. 15:18 Ps 10:16; 29:10; 146:10; Jer 10:10; Rev 11:15. Jehovah is the great king of the universe.

EXODUS 15:27 98

Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."

sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in; and it will be twice as much as they gather daily."

27 And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the waters.

6 And Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, "In the evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out from the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD; for he hears your grumbling against the LORD. But what are we, that you grumble against us?" 8 And Moses said, "This will take place when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning. For the LORD hears your grumbling which you grumble against him. But what are we? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD."

And they set out from Elim, and the whole congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the desert. 3 The children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger." 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Look, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people are to go out and gather at a certain rate every day, so that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. 5 And it shall be that on the

9 And Moses spoke to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come near to the LORD's presence, for he has heard your grumbling.'"

10 And it came about while Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the desert, and, suddenly, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Egypt were exhausted. They were in a desert. The Sinai peninsula where they were is nearly 12,000 square miles, mostly desolate sand, rock and barren mountains. The wadis had water usually only when it rained, which was seldom. There were springs here and there and an occasional oasis and enough water and vegetation for flocks and herds. But there was certainly not enough food or water for two million people on the march. Parts of that area are described in Deut 1:19 as a "great and terrible desert" or a "waste howling wilderness" (KJV).

are unconditional (Gen 9:12-16 for example). When God promises something without conditions it means He will fulfill it regardless of what men may do. The promise here was not like that. It was based on their obedience. If they did not obey, the promise would not be fulfilled. "The LORD who heals you" – the Hebrew is "Jehovah Rophekah" and He is perfectly able to heal His believing people (23:35; Deut 32:39; Ps 41:3,4; 103:3; 147:3; Matt 9:35; Jam 5:14,15). 15:27 God gives rest and refreshment after difficulties (Ps 23:2; 66:10-12; Mark 6:31; Rev 7:17). The journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan is full of instruction and warning for us today (Rom 15:4; 1 Cor 10:1-13). In some respects it is similar to the journey of Christ's believers through life from this evil world, from which they have been rescued, to heaven (note at Num 14:45; 20:12; Deut 1:19; Gal 1:4). In these chapters describing Israel's journey we can see the weakness, depravity and instability of those people (and of ourselves, for by nature we are no better than they. If God has enlightened us and shown us what we truly are by nature, we can see our own portrait in these chapters). We also can see God's goodness, love and power displayed on their behalf and also God's holiness and anger against sin. We can assume by all this that great difficulties and testings are inevitable for God's people in every age. 16:2 14:11; 15:24; Deut 9:24; Ps 106:25; 1 Cor 10:10. 16:3 106:13-15. They forgot the afflictions and bondage of Egypt and thought only of food. The provisions they had brought from

The people saw this dreary waste with no cultivated fields, no rivers or flowing streams, and it appeared that only death by thirst or starvation awaited them. They forgot God's love and the fact that He had led them to the place where they were and had promised to take them all the way to Canaan. Unbelief can blind people's eyes to everything except their difficulties.

"Oh, that" – the KJV has "Would to God", but in Hebrew the word for God does not appear. 16:4 "From heaven" – Neh 9:15; Ps 78:2325; 105:40; John 6:31; 1 Cor 10:3. "Test" – 15:25; Deut 8:2,16. 16:6 6:7. 16:7 "Glory of the LORD" – 16:10; 33:18,21,22; 40:34; Num 14:21; Ps 72:19; Isa 6:3; John 11:40; 2 Cor 4:6; Heb 1:3. 16:8 "Against the LORD" – our grumbling against the leaders God has given us and the circumstances into which He has brought us is against God Himself. This is why it is so serious (1 Sam 8:7,8; Luke 10:16; Rom 13:2; 1 Thess 4:8). Notes at Num 16:1,2,3.

99 EXODUS 17:1

12 "I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'In the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread; and you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"

and what is left over put aside to be kept until the morning.'"

24 And so they put it aside until morning, as Moses commanded. And it did not stink, nor was there any worm in it. 25 And Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find it in the field. 26 You are to gather it for six days, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will not be any."

13 And it came about that in the evening quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew that lay there was gone, there, on the surface of the desert appeared a tiny flake-like thing, as small as hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "It is manna", for they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.

27 And it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, and did not find any. 28 And the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See, the LORD has given you the Sabbath, so on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Each one of you is to stay in his place. Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

16 "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each person is to gather it according to his eating, an omer for each person, according to the number of people you have. Each one is to take for those who are in his tent.'"

31 And the house of Israel called the name of it Manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 And Moses said, "This is what the LORD commands: 'Fill an omer with it to be kept for your future generations, so that they may see the bread I have fed you with in the desert, when I brought you from the land of Egypt.'"

17 And the children of Israel did so. They gathered it, some more, some less. 18 And when they measured it with an omer, the one who gathered much had nothing over, and the one who gathered little had no lack. Each one of them gathered it according to his eating.

19 And Moses said, "Let no one leave any of it until the morning."

33 And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a pot and put an omer full of manna in it, and place it before the LORD, to be kept for your future generations."

20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some of them left some of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank; and Moses was angry with them.

34 So Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept, just as the LORD commanded Moses. 35 And the children of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they came to the borders of the land of Canaan.

21 And they gathered it every morning, each one according to his eating. And when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 And it came about on the sixth day that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one person. And all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 and he said to them, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is the rest day, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you want to bake today, and boil what you want to boil,

36 Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.

And all the congregation of the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sin for the next stage of their journeys,

16:12 Num 14:26,27; Ps 94:8,9. 16:15 In Hebrew "what is it" is "Man hu"? The word manna comes from this (v 31). 16:16 Verse 4; Neh 9:15; Ps 78:24; 105;40; John 6:31; 1 Cor 10:3; Rev 2:17. The manna signifies the Lord Jesus Christ come down from heaven to be the spiritual food of His people – John 6:31-35. We feed on Him by faith. That is, by faith we receive Him as our Saviour, meditate on His wonderful deeds and attributes and His work for us on the cross, draw near to Him in prayer, and receive strength from Him for our daily life.

sure equaling about two liters. 16:18 2 Cor 8:15. 16:19,20 They could not or would not obey an instruction as simple as this. The truth here is that God did not want them to store up for the future, but day by day to recognize their dependence on Him alone for their needs. Compare Matt 6:11. 16:22-26 Again they could not obey a simple instruction until repeated. We see how human, how ordinary were these Israelites. 16:32-34 Heb 9:4. "Testimony" – 25:16. 16:35 Deut 8:2,3; Josh 5:12; Neh 9:20,21. 17:1 15:22-24. They were there at God's command and should have been sure He

"Omer" (also vs 18,32,33,36) – a mea-

EXODUS 17:2 100

according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim. And there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?"

Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand."

10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it was like this: When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands were heavy, and so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and one on the other side, and his hands remained steady until sundown. 13 And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and so the people grumbled against Moses, and said, "Why is it that you have brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?"

4 And Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me."

5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. And take your rod in your hand, with which you struck the river, and go. 6 See, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you are to strike the rock. And water will come out of it, so that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the children of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us, or not?"

14 And the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as something to be remembered, and tell it in the hearing of Joshua, because I will completely blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."

15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi, 16 for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for his people Israel, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.

8 Then Amalek came, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some men for us, go out, and fight with Amalek.

2 After Moses had sent his wife Zipporah back,

would give them all they needed (Ps 23:1). 17:2,3 "Quarreled" – 14:11; 16:2,3,8; Num 21:5,6. "Test" – Deut 6:16; Ps 78:18,41; Matt 4:7; 1 Cor 10:9. 17:4 Num 14:10. 17:5 4:2; 7:20. 17:6 "Horeb" – 3:1. "Strike" – Num 20:10,11; Deut 8:15; Neh 9:15; Ps 78:15; 105:41; 114:8. This rock signifies Christ (1 Cor 10:4). He was struck for His people (Isa 53:4-6) so that they might have eternal spiritual water to drink (John 4:10,13,14; q7:37; Rev 7:17; 22:1,17). To give water for 20,00,000 people great streams had to gush from the rock. From Christ the smitten Rock flows such quantities of living water that there is enough for every one of earth's billions to drink. The water here signifies the Holy Spirit (John 7:38,39) 17:7 The Hebrew word "massah" means test or testing. "Meribah" means quarrel or quarreling. See Num 14:22; 20:13; Deut 6:16; 9:22; Ps 95:8-11. They tested God by their unbelief – "Is the LORD among us or not?" Their duty and privilege was to trust God to meet their every need and not grumble and complain at His leading. Had not God repeatedly shown His love and power toward them? 17:8 Amalek was a people descended from Esau, Jacob's brother (Gen 36:12; Deut 25:17-

19; 1 Sam 15:2,3). They were a semi-nomadic people usually occupying desert areas south of Canaan. From this time on they were enemies of Israel. Notes at 1 Sam 15:2; Esther 3:1. 17:9 "Joshua" – 24:13; Josh 1:1. "Rod" – 4:20. 17:10 "Hur" – 24:14; 31:2. 17:11 This signified dependence on God's power alone. Perhaps the lifted arm is a picture of intercession for the people of God. Observe that when Moses' arm came down God's enemies gained ground and defeated God's people. 17:14 "Write" – 24:4; 34:27; Num 33:2; Deut 31:9.

"Blot out" – Deut 25:19; 1 Sam 15:3. 17:15 "Jehovah Nissi" – this means "The LORD is my banner." He is the God who gives victory to His people against their enemies (Ps 20:5; 60:4; Isa 11:12; John 16:33; Rom 8:37; 1 Cor 15:57; 2 Cor 2:14). The Christian life is a warfare against spiritual enemies (Eph 6:10-18). Victory is gained by dependence on God's power alone (v 11). We must fight if we would win, but victory is God's gift and does not come by our strength or skill. Note at Josh 1:17. 17:16 The first part of this verse may also be translated "Because a hand was against the throne of the LORD." 18:1-4 "Jethro" – 2:16,18; 3:1. Gershom means "an exile" or "a stranger there."

101 EXODUS 19:2

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, received her 3 and her two sons. The name of one was Gershom; for he said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land". 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for he said "the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh."

"Because the people come to me to seek God's guidance. 16 Whenever they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another, and I cause them to know God's decrees and his laws."

17 And Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear out, both you and this people who are with you, for this work is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now listen to my voice. I will give you counsel and God will be with you. You be the representative of the people to God, so that you may bring the cases to God. 20 And you will teach them ordinances and laws and show them the way in which they are to walk, and the work they are to do. 21 But you must select able men from all the people who fear God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain. And place such men over them, to be leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. And it shall be that they will bring every great matter to you, but will judge every small matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, when they bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and if God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their places contented."

5 Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the desert, where he was camping at the mountain of God, 6 and he said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, and your wife and her two sons with her, have come to you."

7 And Moses went out to meet his fatherin-law, and bowed down, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and came into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the hardship that had come on them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

9 And Jethro rejoiced because of all the goodness which the LORD had done for Israel, whom he had delivered from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he was above them in the matter in which they behaved so arrogantly." 12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. And Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moses' fatherin-law in God's presence.

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his fatherin-law, and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men from all Israel, and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. The hard cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

13 And it came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people were standing around Moses from morning to evening. 14 And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone, with all the people standing around you from morning to evening?"

27 And Moses let his father-in-law leave, and he went his way to his own land.

In the third month after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, the same day, they came into the desert of Sinai. 2 When they set out from Rephidim they came to

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law,

Eliezer means "God of help" or "my God is helper." 18:5 "Mountain of God" – 3:1,12; 4:27; 24:13. 18:9 Ps 25:6; 86:5; Isa 63:7-9. 18:11 12:12; 15:11; 1 Kings 18:39; 2 Chron 2:5; Ps 95:3; 97:9; 135:5. 18:15,16 Num 9:6,8; 27:5; Deut 17:8-13. 18:18 Num 11:14,17; Deut 1:12. 18:21,22 Deut 1:13-18; 16:19,20; 2 Sam 23:3; 2 Chron 19:5-10; Ps 15:1-5; Prov 24:23-25; Acts 6:3. The God of the Bible is a God of absolute justice Himself and demands that judges and rulers seek only

justice for people, and refuse bribes and dishonest gain. 18:24 Even so great and wise a man as Moses was willing to take the advice of others (Num 12:3). 19:1,2 The location of this mountain called Sinai or Horeb (3:1,12) is not known for certain, but the one usually regarded by scholars as the Sinai of the Bible is a series of peaks two miles long and a mile wide. The highest point is over 7,000 feet (about 2,160 meters). In front of it there is an extensive plain where as many as (20,00,000 people could camp.

EXODUS 19:3 102

the desert of Sinai and camped in the desert. There Israel camped in front of the mountain.

and have them wash their clothes, 11 and be ready by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you are to set limits to the people all around, saying, Watch out for yourselves, so that you do not go up to the mountain, or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 No hand is to touch him, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot with arrows; neither animal or man is to live. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they are to come up to the mountain."

3 And Moses went up to God. And the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob, and tell to the children of Israel: 4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself. 5 Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special treasure out of all the peoples, for all the earth is mine. 6 And you will be for me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

14 And Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people. And they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, "Be ready by the third day; do not go near your wives."

7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together, and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." And Moses took the words of the people back to the LORD.

16 And it came about on the morning of the third day that there were flashes of lightning and thunder, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a trumpet exceedingly loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the bottom of the mountain. 18 And the whole of Mount Sinai was in smoke, because the LORD came down on it in fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a

9 And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever." And Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.

10 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow,

19:3 The God of love who has redeemed Israel from bondage now gives them a further revelation of truth. 19:4 Deut 29:2; 32:11. 19:5,6 God now makes another covenant with Israel. See 24:8. This covenant is called the Mosaic Covenant because it was given through Moses. It is also called by some the covenant of works because its promised blessings were based on the obedience of the people. In other words, it was a conditional covenant, not like the one God gave in Noah's day (Gen 9:12-16). God now says to Israel that they would enjoy certain privileges 'if you obey me'. The first part of the Bible is named after this covenant. The rest of the Old Testament from here to Malachi deals with Israel under this covenant.

Second, they would be a kingdom of priests. This was never completely fulfilled in Israel under the old covenant because they were not obedient. (Note on priests at 28:1). Third, they would be a holy nation (Deut 7:6; 14:21; 26:19; Isa 62:12). 19:8 24:3,7; 26:17. Their intention to keep God's laws was good (Deut 5:27), but they were self-deceived and all too ignorant of their weak and sinful hearts (Jer 17:9). Their later history revealed this – 32:7-9; Num 14:11; Deut 5:29; 9:24; Ps 95:10,11; 106:13,14. Because of the depravity of human nature, self-effort will never enable anyone to completely keep the law of God. To do that men must be spiritually changed, receive God's Holy Spirit and live in the power of the Spirit (Rom 8:3,4). So the law could not bring salvation to the people. The basis of salvation is grace and mercy, not the deeds of the law (John 1:17; Acts 13:39; Rom 3:22-26; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:1-5; Titus 3:3-7). Still our desire should always be to obey God and do what He tells us (John 15:10; 1 John 2:3-6). 19:9 24:15,16; Deut 4:11. 19:10-13 The holy God is ready to reveal His holy law to the people. They must be clean and ready to stand before Him. Even the mountain where God appeared was holy and must not be touched.

This covenant has three parts, relating to the ethical, social, and religious life of Israel. This covenant did not change God's covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 15:18-21; 17:9-14). It was added to that covenant and was to be in force only until Christ came (Gal 3:17-19; Heb 8:7-13). When this old covenant had fully served the purpose God had for it, He laid it aside and brought in the new covenant which is far superior to it (Heb 8:6). Under the old covenant God promised Israel three things upon their obedience.

First, they would be His own special possession (Deut 4:20; 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Ps 135:4. Concerning believers in Christ now see Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9).

"Sanctify" – see note at Lev 20:7. 19:16-18 Deut 4:11; Jud 5:5; Ps 68:7,8; Heb 12:18-21.

103 EXODUS 20:4

furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 And when the sound of the trumpet made a long blast, and got louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.

24 And the LORD said to him, "Away, go down. Then you are to come up, you, and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, so that he does not break out against them."

20 And the LORD came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mountain and Moses went up. 21 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people so they will not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 And have the priests also, who come near the LORD, sanctify themselves, so that the LORD does not break out against them."

25 So Moses went down to the people, and spoke to them.

And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 "I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 "You shall have no other gods besides me.

23 And Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, 'Set limits around the mountain and sanctify it.'"

4 "You shall not make for yourself any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in

"Fire" – note at 3:2. 19:20 Neh 9:13. 19:21-25 The picture in this chapter is one of gloom and fire and quaking and fear and distance between God and man. All these indicate God's hatred of all sin and man's unworthiness in himself to approach God. They show also that the revelation of God's commandments was a fearful thing, that the way of a peaceful, joyous entrance into God's presence was not then being revealed. God in His love gave the law to teach the people many important things. The law brought the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:19,20); when broken it brought God's wrath (Rom 4:15); to the disobedient it brought a curse (Deut 27:26; Gal 3:10), and death and condemnation (2 Cor 3:7,9).

the most important of His laws. If people follow other gods they will reject Him, neglect other laws of His, ignore His way of salvation, and thus bring ruin upon themselves. The meaning of this verse is not that there are many gods all struggling for supremacy. There is only one true God and He hates everything that is false, everything that man makes into a god or falsely imagines to be God. He loves human beings and wants their love in return (Deut 6:5). Even if a person follows all the other laws of God and breaks only this one, that person is guilty of a great sin against God, and is worthy of terrible punishment (Deut 13:618; 17:2-7; etc). "Besides" – this may also be translated "before". In either case, what the true God is forbidding is to have any other god at all, ever. 20:4-6 God, the Creator of the universe and of man, forbids all idolatry. This commandment too is repeated many times in the Bible (for example Lev 19:4; 26:1; Deut 4:1519; 5:8,9; 27:15; 1 John 5:21). God does not have to give any reasons for this; He is God and knows what is right and good. But excellent reasons why He gave this command are later revealed in the Bible.

The law itself was holy, just, and good (Rom 7:12), but mankind is unholy, unjust, and bad, and far too weak and sinful to fully keep the law (Rom 7:14,18; 8:3). The law was a just and righteous code to govern society, but it was not a way for personal salvation. The principal work of the law is to teach us certain truth we need to know about God and ourselves and so point us to Christ (Gal 3:24,25). Learning God's high and holy standards, our own sinful, weak natures, our need of Christ and His grace is a very great good. Happy those who so learn! 20:1 This is one of the key chapters of the Bible, of the whole literature of the world. The laws recorded here are not man's but God's. They give His standard of holiness and justice. They were given for the good of Israel and for the good of people everywhere. 20:2 God first identifies Himself so there can be no mistake. He is Jehovah ("LORD"), the eternally self-existing one, the Creator of man (Gen 2:7), the one who displayed His marvelous power in bringing Israel out of Egypt (note on Jehovah at 3:14,15). 20:3 The first law of God is often repeated in the Bible (Deut 6:14; 2 Kings 17:35; Jer 25:6; 35:15; Matt 4:10). The Bible teaches the centrality of God the Creator, and this is

First, idols give a false view of what God is like. They dishonor and slander God (Isa 40:18-26; Acts 17:29; Rom 1:20-23). Nothing that men can make can in any way represent God's eternal being, His holiness, His grandeur, His supremely excellent nature. Man-made images will be ugly and abominable by comparison with God's glory. Even if there could be images which truly represented God's nature (and this is impossible), they would not be good for people to have and worship. By them we could only know the images of God and not God Himself. God can be known only through spirit, only by direct experience with Him. The Lord Jesus taught that God is spirit and that they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

EXODUS 20:5 104

the water under the earth; 5 You shall not bow down to them, or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the wrongdoing of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 and showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.

8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you are to labour, and do all your work; 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. You shall not do any work in it, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your foreigner who is inside your gates; 11 for in six days the LORD made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and all that is them, and ceased on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.

7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.

Second, the Bible says that idols are vain and worthless (Ps 115:2-8; 135:13-18; Isa 44:9-20; Jer 10:5; Hab 2:18,19; 1 Cor 12:2; Rev 9:20).

work. The law had Saturday for their rest day. Christians now, no longer under the law (Rom 6:14), generally have Sunday as their rest day (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2). The particular day is not the important thing but the fact of having some day for rest and worship. In the whole of the New Testament there is no command to Christians to take Saturday (or any other day) as their day of rest. 20:11 "Made" – the Hebrew verb ("asah") which has many meanings – "made", "did", "prepared", "made ready", "appointed", "worked on", etc. It is unlikely that this verse refers to Genesis 1:1 and the "beginning" when God "created" ("bara") the heaven and the earth out of nothing. The Hebrew verb here usually means made or made ready, working on existing materials. See the notes on Genesis chapter 1. It seems that here in Exodus the six days here were the days that God "worked on" an already existing earth (from Gen 1:3 onward). If this is the correct interpretation, then since the seventh day here is a literal day of 24 hours there is strong reason for thinking that the six previous days were also literal days of 24 hours. But see notes at Gen 1:5; 2:4; 5:2. "Six days" – the word "in" before "six" appears in most versions, but it has added by the translators. It is not in the Hebrew here. So this sentence could also be translated like this: "For six days the LORD worked on the sky and the land, the sea, and all that is in them, and ceased the seventh day." It seems He is speaking of making this special area of the universe ready for man's habitation. After all, He is speaking to human being on the earth He created for them and about which they have more interest than any other spot in the universe. And the original hearers and readers knew nothing about outer space with its billions of galaxies. Of course, God did create the whole universe, but it is unlikely that this is what He is speaking about here.

Third, idolatry corrupts individuals and nations. It leads people astray from the one true God (Ps 106:36-39; Ezek 6:9; 44:10; Hos 4:12). So God in His love for people emphatically forbids all idolatry. 20:5,6 "Jealous God" – jealousy is a word associated with love. God loves His people with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). He loved the world so much He gave His only Son as a sacrifice (John 3:16). A God of love He is (1 John 4:8), and He wants love in return. When His people's love is given to false gods and idols His anger is aroused. He loves so much that He can tolerate no rival for His people's affections (34:14; Deut 4:24; 5:9; 6:5,15; Josh 24:19). "Visiting" – God does not punish children for their parent's sin (Deut 24:16; notes on Ezekiel chapter 18). However, the consequences of parent's sins come upon children. And God has so arranged things in life that it will be so. Children are influenced by their parents very strongly and learn their ways. If parents hate God it will be no surprising thing if their children also come to hate God. The consequences and resulting punishment of such sin will be only to the 3rd and 4th generation, but God will show His love to a thousand generations. God would much rather show love than punish (Ps 30:5; Ezek 18:23,30-32; Hos 14:1-4. The whole book of Hosea shows this truth. The cross of the Lord Jesus reveals that God took the punishment of sin Himself to keep from punishing others). In this revelation of His holy law the God of love speaks, and throughout the whole Bible God showed love, mercy, and grace to anyone who heartily turned to Him. And He still continues to do so.

"Wrongdoing" – the Hebrew word here has a variety of meanings including the consequences of sin. 20:7 Lev 19:12; Deut 6:13; 10:20. God is holy and His name is holy (note at Lev 20:7). People must regard it as holy and use His name only sincerely, truly, lovingly. The penalty for breaking this law was severe (Deut 28:58,59). 20:8-11 Gen 2:2,3; Ex 23:12; 31:13-17; 34:21; 35:2,3; Deut 5:12-15; Isa 58:12,13. The Sabbath was a day of quietness, relaxation, and rest. It was also the day when Israel met together to worship God (Lev 23:3). God knew that man needed such a day after six days of

"Heaven" – this could be translated "sky" also. The Hebrew word is in the plural, but it is always in the plural whether the meaning is "heavens" (plural), or "heaven" (singular) or "sky" or "skies". The singular is never used.

"Earth" – the Hebrew word here also means "land", and may be better, in the context, to translate it "land". If we say earth, the sea is a part of the earth and should not be singled out as something different from the earth. But the expression "land

105 EXODUS 21:2

12 "Honour your father and your mother, so that your time may be long in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

sin."

21 And the people stood at a distance, and Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

13 "You shall not commit murder.

22 And the LORD said to Moses, "This is what you are to say to the children of Israel: You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 To be with me you shall not make for yourself gods of silver, and you shall not make for yourself gods of gold.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour."

24 "You shall make an altar of earth for me, and on it you shall sacrifice your burnt offerings, and your peace offerings, your sheep, and your oxen. In every place that I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make an altar of stone for me, you shall not build it with cut stones, for if you use your chisel on it, you have polluted it. 26 Neither shall you go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.'

18 And all the people saw the thunder and the lightning flashes, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 And they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will listen; but do not have God speak with us, or we will die."

"Now these are the laws which you are to set before them. 2 "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for six years, and in the seventh he is to go out

20 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come to test you so that his fear may be before your faces, so that you do not

and sea" indicates that these two things are different. And, in fact, what God did in those six days of Genesis was to prepare the land and the sea and the atmosphere around the earth. 20:12 Lev 19:3; Deut 27:16; Matt 15:4; 19:19; Eph 6:2,3. 20:13 Gen 9:6; Ex 21:12; Lev 24:17; Deut 5:17. This is not a command against killing, but against murder. God Himself commanded men to put other men to death for various offenses (see note at 21:36), and sent the nation Israel into Canaan to kill its inhabitants. So to translate this command as "You shall not kill" is misleading. The Hebrew word means murder. 20:14 Lev 20:10; Deut 5:18; Matt 5:27; 19:18; Rom 13:9; 1 Cor 6:9,18; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5; Heb 13:4. 20:15 21:16; Lev 19:11,13; Matt 19:18; Rom 13:9; Eph 4:28. 20:16 See 23:1; Ps 5:6; 15:2; Prov 6:1619; 12:22; Matt 19:18; Eph 4:15,25; Col 3:9. God is a God of truth and so hates all kinds of lying and deception. Three times in the closing book of the Bible God reveals what the terrible consequences of lying will be (Rev 21:8,27; 22:15).

him of sin (Rom 7:7,8). More than any other commandment perhaps this one shows that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). The Lord Jesus revealed that sin is in the inner desire as well as in the outward act of a person (Matt 5:27,28; 15:19,20). 20:18 19:16,18; Heb 12:18,19. Law keeps man at a distance from God, grace brings him near. 20:19 Deut 5:5,23-27; Heb 12:19. 20:20 Deut 4:10; 6:24; Prov 3:7; 16:6; Isa 8:13. The law should produce a fear of offending God and bringing His punishment. Such fear will restrain from evil (notes at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 1:7). 20:21 19:16; Deut 5:22. 20:22 Deut 4:36; 5:24,26; Neh 9:13; Heb 12:25. 20:23 The one law God repeats in this chapter is the prohibition of other gods. This law was of the utmost importance. In fact all the other laws are based on this one. 2O:24 Burnt and peace offerings signify Christ sacrificed for sinners to deliver them from the curse of the very law now revealed (Gal 3:13,14). See notes on these offerings at Leviticus chapters 1 and 3.

"Neighbour" – this means fellow human beings, not just the person living next door. 20:17 Deut 5:21; Rom 7:7; 13:9; Eph 5:3,5. All the other commandments in this chapter concern outward actions. This one concerns the secret desires of the heart. The apostle Paul once thought he could keep all of the law, but this one command revealed to him the uncontrollable desires that were in his fallen nature and convicted

"Bless you" – notes on blessing at Gen 12:2,3; Num 6:22-27; Deut 28:1,2; Ps 1:1,2; 119:1; Matt 5:3-12; Luke 11:28; Acts 3:26; Gal 3:9,15; Eph 1:3. 21:1 Here are various laws for Israel as a nation, as a community of people living together. 21:2 Lev 25:39-43; Deut 15:12-18; Jer 34:14. Slavery was an accepted custom in

EXODUS 21:3 106

free, paying nothing. 3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he was married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out by himself.

hands, then I will appoint you a place where he is to flee. 14 But if a man deals arrogantly with his neighbour so as to murder him treacherously, you shall take him from my altar to be put to death.

15 "And whoever strikes his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

5 "But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free', 6 then his master shall bring him to the judges, then he shall also bring him to the door, or to the door post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

16 "And whoever kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hands, he shall surely be put to death.

17 "And whoever curses his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

18 "And if men fight together, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die, but is confined to his bed, 19 if he gets up again and walks around with his staff, then the one who struck him will be in the clear. But he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall see that he is completely healed.

7 "And if a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has assigned her to himself, then he is to let her be redeemed. He shall have no authority to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt unfairly with her. 9 And if he has assigned her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom with daughters. 10 If he takes another woman, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her conjugal rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, then she shall go out free without payment.

20 "And if a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and the slave dies at his hand, he shall surely be punished. 21 However, if the slave survives a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property.

22 "If men fight, and one of them harms a pregnant woman so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined, just as the woman's husband may demand, and he must pay as the judges determine. 23 And if there is any further injury, then you shall give life

12 "Whoever strikes a man, so that he dies, shall surely be put to death. 13 However if a man did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his

the ancient world. Under the law God permitted it for His people. It is possible He did so to signify certain spiritual truths – that man is in bondage to sin and that the law cannot free him; and that God's people belong to Him. He is their owner and master, and they are His servants or slaves. God may have permitted slavery also to teach that all men, because they are sinners and rebels against God, have no rights before God. Because of their nature and actions they deserve punishment, grief, death, and eternal separation from God. If any people enjoy life, liberty, happiness and prosperity, this is God's grace and mercy to them and not their inalienable right.

on slavery at Eph 6:5. 21:5 Deut 15:16,17. 21:6 Some slaves were treated so well by their masters that they wanted to serve permanently. This is the true believer's attitude toward God who is his Lord and Master and he rejoices in this relationship. Christ is the believer's perfect example in this as in everything (Heb 10:7; Ps 40:6-8; John 8:29; Rom 15:8). In the New Testament believers are called slaves or servants of God (Rom 6:17-22).

"Judges" – the Hebrew word means "gods" or "God". See note at Ps 82:1,2. The judges were supposed to be God's representatives to dispense justice. 21:7 Neh 5:5. 21:12 Gen 9:6; Lev 24:17; Num 35:30; Matt 26:52. 21:13 Num 35:10-15; Deut 19:1-13; Josh 20:1-9. 21:14 Deut 19:11,12; 1 Kings 2:28-34. 21:15 20:12. 21:16 Deut 24:7. 21:17 20:12; Lev 20:9; Prov 20:20; Matt 15:4. 21:21 Lev 25:44-46. God's people are God's property – Deut 4:20; 7:6; 14:2; Ps 135:4; Rom 14:8; 1 Cor 6:19,20; Titus 2:14. 21:22 Deut 22:18,19. 21:23-25 This is the essence of the law – exact retribution for offenses (Lev 24:19,20; Deut 19:21). This was to govern the rela-

In Israel slaves were to be treated far better than in any other country on earth. Their owners were to show them fairness and kindness. As a rule they were to be considered practically as members of the family where they were. They rested on the Sabbath and ate the meat of the sacrifices (Deut 5:14; 12:12; 16:11), even the consecrated food of the priests (Lev 22:11). They took circumcision if they wanted to and then had all the privileges of the covenant (Ex 12:44). When set free they were given provisions (Deut 15:14). A higher code for slaves did not exist among any people. One other fact – the seed of the eventual overthrow of slavery is found in Old Testament teachings like Lev 19:18. See also Matt 7:12 and note

107 EXODUS 22:13

for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

and dies, no blood is to be shed for him in punishment. 3 If the sun has risen on him when he breaks in, blood is to be shed for him. A thief must make full restitution. If he does not have anything, then he must be sold for his theft.

26 "And if a man strikes the eye of his male slave, or the eye of his female slave so that it is lost, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake. 27 And if he knocks out his male slave's tooth, or his female slave's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

4 "If the stolen animal is found in his hands alive, whether it is an ox, or donkey, or sheep, he must repay double.

5 "If a man lets out a field or vineyard to be grazed, and puts his own animal so that it feeds in another man's field, he must make restitution from the best in his own field, and from the best of his own vineyard.

28 "If an ox gores a man or a woman and they die, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be in the clear. 29 But if the ox was previously in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned, and he has not confined it, and it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If payment is demanded of him, then he shall give whatever is demanded for the ransom of his life. 31 Whether it has gored a son, or has gored a daughter, it is to be done to him according to this law. 32 If the ox gores a male slave or a female slave, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

6 "If fire breaks out, and catches in thorns, so that the stacks of grain or the standing grain, or the field, are burnt up by it, the one who started the fire must surely make restitution.

7 "If a man gives his neighbour money or goods for safekeeping, and it is stolen out of the man's house, if the thief is caught, he must pay double.

8 If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall be brought to the judges, to see whether he laid his hands on his neighbour's possessions. 9 For every case of transgression, whether it is about an ox, or donkey, or sheep, or garment, or any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the case of the two parties shall come before the judges, and the one the judges declare guilty must pay double to his neighbour.

33 "And if a man uncovers a pit, or if a man digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money to their owner; and the dead animal shall be his.

35 "And if one man's ox hurts another's, and it dies, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money from it, and also divide the dead ox. 36 Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, and his owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead one will be his.

10 "If a man gives a donkey, or an ox, or a sheep, or any animal, to his neighbour for safekeeping, and it dies, or is hurt, or driven away without anyone seeing it, 11 then an oath before the LORD is to be made between the two of them that he has not laid his hands on his neighbour's possessions, and their owner must accept it, and the neighbor is not to make restitution. 12 But if it has been stolen from him, he must make restitution to the owner of it. 13 If it has been torn in pieces, then let him bring it as evidence, and he shall not make restitution for that which was torn.

"If a man steals an ox, or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

2 "If a thief is found breaking in, and is struck

tionship of the people of Israel in society. Their judges were to decide what retribution was required. In Matt 5:38-41 Jesus gave a higher law for individual relationships. See also Rom 12:19-21. Even if justice is not obtained in the courts, believers are not to take vengeance, but are to commit their case to God. Note at Num 31:2. 21:32 "Thirty shekels" – about 0.3 kilogram. The price of a slave was 30 pieces of silver. See Zech 11:12; Matt 26:15; 27:3,9. 21:36 Under the law, as we see in this chapter, death was the penalty for murder, striking or cursing a parent, kidnaping, and causing death through negligence. Other sins for which the death penalty was ordered in God's law were these: breaking the Sabbath (31:14;

35:2), offering a child to a false god (Lev 20:2), adultery and other sexual sins (Lev 20:10-16), consulting mediums and other such people (Lev 20:6), blasphemy (Lev 24:15), promoting or practicing idolatry and false worship (Deut 13:1-8), prophesying falsely (Deut 18:20), disobedience and rebellion (Deut 21:18-21), sorcery (22:18), and worship of other gods (22:20). In the eyes of the one true God all these were (and are) sins worthy of death. 22:1 20:15; 2 Sam 12:6; Luke 19:8. 22:2,3 A person in a house at night would feel more danger from a thief and would be justified in striking in self-defense. 22:7 Lev 16:1-7. 22:11 Heb 6:16.

EXODUS 22:14 108

14 "And if a man borrows any animal from his neighbour, and it is hurt, or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make restitution. 15 But if the owner of it is with it, he shall not make restitution. If it is hired, it came for its hire. 16 And if a man seduces a girl who is not engaged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

28 "You shall not revile God, or curse a ruler of your people.

29 "You shall not hold back the first of your harvest and of your vintage. You shall give me the firstborn of your sons.

30 "You shall do the same with your oxen, and with your sheep. It is to be seven days with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

31 "And you shall be holy men to me. You shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you must throw it to the dogs.

18 "You shall not permit a witch to live. 19 "Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.

"You shall not spread a false report. Do not join hands with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 2 You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify in a lawsuit to pervert justice, following the majority. 3 And you shall not show partiality to a poor man in his lawsuit.

20 "He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.

21 "You shall not wrong a foreigner or oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

22 "You shall not mistreat any widow, or fatherless child. 23 If you mistreat them in any way, and they cry out to me at all, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows, and your children fatherless.

4 "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you must surely bring it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying under its burden, you must not leave it to him, you shall surely help him with it.

25 "If you lend money to any of the poor among my people, you shall not be like a moneylender; you must not charge him interest. 26 If you ever take your neighbour's cloak as a pledge, you shall deliver it to him by sundown; 27 for that is his only covering; it is his garment for his body. What else will he sleep in? And when it comes about that he cries out to me, I will hear; for I am gracious.

6 "You shall not pervert justice with your poor in his lawsuit. 7 Keep far from a false matter; and do not put the innocent and righteous to death; for I will not acquit the guilty.

8 "And you must not take a bribe; for a bribe blinds the discerning, and perverts the words of the righteous.

9 "Also you shall not oppress a foreigner, for

22:16,17 Deut 22:28,29. In Israel a bridegroom paid a dowry to the girl's father – the opposite of the custom in India. 22:18 Lev 19:31; 20:6,27; Deut 18:10,11; Jer 27:9,10. Sorcerers and sorceresses are not servants of God, and not in contact with God. The result of their activity is to turn people away from the truth and away from the true God. That danger had to be dealt with drastically. See also Acts 13:6-11; Rev 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; 22:15. 22:19 Lev 18:23; 20:15,16; Deut 27:21. 22:20 32:8; 34:15; Lev 17:7; Num 25:2; Deut 17:2,3,5; 1 Kings 18:40; 2 Kings 10:25; 1 Cor 10:20. The penalty for this sin was great because it was breaking the first and most important of the ten commandments (20:3). The Creator demands that worship be given to Him alone and not to anything or anyone else called a god. 22:21 23:9; Lev 19:33,34; 25:35; Deut 1:16; 10:19; 27:19. 22:22-24 Deut 24:17,18; Ps 68:5; 82:1-4; Prov 23:10,11; Jer 9:24. The God of the Bible (the only God there is) loves justice and will punish those who trouble the weak and helpless. Injustice makes God angry. Notes on His anger at Num 25:3; etc. 22:25 Lev 25:35-37; Deut 15:7-11;

23:19,20; Neh 5:7; Ps 15:5. 22:26,27 God sees such small things and He cares. 22:28 Lev 24:15,16; Acts 23:5. "God" – 21:6. In Hebrew the word may also indicate the judges, God's representative. It seems unlikely that we should translate this as "the gods" (KJV). For one thing, in Hebrew the word "the" is not here. 22:29 God had to come first in their thinking. It is God who gives the land, the rain and the harvest, and He must be remembered and honored (23:16,19; Deut 26:211; Prov 3:9; Mal 3:10). 22:31 19:6; Lev 11:44; 19:2. 23:1 "Report" – 20:16; Lev 19:11,12; Deut 5:20; Ps 101:5; Prov 10:18. "Witness" – Deut 19:16-21; Ps 35:11; Prov 19:5; Acts 6:11. 23:2 Deut 16:19; 24:17. 23:3 Lev 19:15; Deut 1:17; 6:19. 23:4,5 Deut 22:1-4. 23:6 Lev 19:15; Deut 1:17; 10:17; 16:19. 23:7 "Guilty" – 34:7; Deut 25:1; Rom 1:18. 23:8 Deut 10:17; 16:19; Prov 15:27; 17:8,23; Isa 5:22,23. See notes at Ps 26:10; Amos 5:12. 23:9 22:21; Lev 19:33,34; Deut 24:17,18; 27:19.

109 EXODUS 23:33

you know the heart of a foreigner, seeing you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

place which I have prepared. 21 Pay attention to him, and obey his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him. 22 But if you shall indeed obey his voice, and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 For my angel will go before you, and bring you to the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I will destroy them. 24 You must not bow down to their gods, or serve them, or do according to their works; but you must utterly demolish them, and smash their images. 25 And you shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread, and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you. 26 None will have a miscarriage or be barren in your land. I will enable you to complete the number of your days.

10 "You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its harvests. 11 But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still, so that the poor among your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do the same way with your vineyard, and with your olive garden.

12 "You shall do your work in six days, and on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maid servant, and the foreigner, may be refreshed.

13 "And pay attention to everything I have said to you, and do not mention the name of another god; do not let it be heard from your mouth.

14 "Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me.

15 "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. You shall eat bread made without yeast for seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed in the month Abib; for in that month you came out from Egypt. And no one is to appear before me empty-handed.

27 "I will send my fear before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you will be going, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And I will send hornets before you, which will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you. 29 I will not drive them out before you in one year, so that the land will not become desolate, and the beasts of the field increase in number against you. 30 I will drive them out before you little by little, until you are increased in number, and inherit the land.

16 "And you must keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of your labours which you have sown in the field, and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labours from the field.

17 "Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.

31 "And I will set your boundaries from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hands, and you will drive them out before you. 32 You must not make any covenant with them, or with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, so that they may not cause you to sin against me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."

18 "You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifices with bread made with yeast, and the fat of my sacrifices must not remain until morning.

19 "You shall bring the first of the firstfruits of your land into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

20 "See, I am sending an angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the

23:10 Lev 25:1-7. 23:11 Lev 19:10; 23:22. Observe God's concern for the poor. 23:12 20:8-11; 31:15; 35:2,3. 23:13 "Pay attention" – Deut 4:9,23; 1 Tim 4:16. "Another god" – Josh 23:7; Ps 16:4; Hos 2:17. 23:14 34:22-24; Deut 16:16. 23:15 12:14-20; Lev 23:6-8; Num 28:16-25. 23:16 "Harvest" – 34:22; Lev 23:10; Num 28:26. "Firstfruits" – Lev 23:39. 23:17 34:23; Deut 16:16. This does not mean women and children were to stay at home. But because of the length and difficulty of the way they were not commanded to come as the men were.

23:18 34:25; Lev 2:11. 23:19 22:29; 34:26; Deut 26:2,10; Neh 10:35; Prov 3:6. 23:20 3:2; 14:19; 32:34; 33:2. 23:21 "Rebel" – Deut 9:7; Ps 78:40,56. "Name" – 3:14; 6:3; 34:5-7. Note on angel at Gen 16:7. 23:22 Gen 12:3; Num 24:9; Deut 30:7. 23:23 Josh 24:8,11. Notes at Gen 6:7; Lev 18:24. 23:24 "Must not bow down" – 20:5; Deut 12:30,31. "Smash" – Num 33:52; Deut 7:5; 12:3; 2 Kings 18:4. 23:25 "Bless" – Lev 26:3-13; Deut 28:1-14. "Sickness" – 15:26; Deut 7:15. 23:31 "Philistines" – the Mediterranean Sea. "River" – the Euphrates. 23:32 "Covenant" – 34:12; Deut 7:2.

EXODUS 24:1 110 24

And he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD. They shall not come near. And the people shall not come up with him."

12 And the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you tablets of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written, so that you may teach them."

13 And Moses and his assistant Joshua got up, and Moses went up on to the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, "Wait here for us, until we come back to you. For, see, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has matters to resolve, let him come to them."

3 And Moses came and told the people all the words and all the laws of the LORD, and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "We will do according to every word that the LORD has spoken."

4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and erected an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And he sent young men from the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "We will do everything that the LORD has said, and be obedient."

15 And Moses went up on the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. 16 And for six days the glory of the LORD remained on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it. And on the seventh day he called to Moses from inside the cloud. 17 And in the eyes of the children of Israel the sight of the glory of the LORD was like consuming fire on the top of the mountain. 18 And Moses went inside the cloud when he went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Tell the children of Israel to bring me an offering. You shall take my offering from everyone who gives it willingly from his heart. 3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, and silver, and brass, 4 and blue, purple and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 5 and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and acacia wood, 6 oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "See, the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you about all these words."

9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire, and it was as clear blue as the heavens. 11 And he did not lay a hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They also saw God, and ate and drank.

8 "And let them make me a sanctuary, so that I

24:1 6:23; 28:1. 24:3 19:8; 24:7; Deut 5:27. 24:4 17:14; 34:27; Num 33:2; Deut 31:9. This is a plain statement that Moses wrote down the law at God's command. We should not doubt it. Compare John 5:46. Anyone who denies this (and some people do so) is denying a fact of holy Scripture. 24:5 18:12. 24:6 Heb 9:18. 24:7 "Book" – v 4. "Obedient – note at 19:8. 24:8 "Blood" – Heb 9:19,20. Note on the old covenant at Ex 19:5. 24:10,11 "Saw" – they saw a manifestation of God in some form, human or angelic (Isa 6:5; John 1:18; 6:46; 12:41; 1 Tim 6:16; notes at Gen 2:19; 12:7).

12:18. 24:18 34:28; Deut 9:9; 10:10. 25:2 Note at 35:4-9; 1 Chron 29:3,5,9; Ezra 2:68; 2 Cor 8:11,12; 9:7. 25:7 "Ephod" – 28:4,6-14. "Breastplate" – 28:4,15-30. 25:8 "Sanctuary" – the Hebrew means "a place that is holy".

"Dwell among them" – here we have a wonderful thing – God's great desire to be with men. The Bible reveals God coming to man, desiring man's fellowship, providing a way for man to approach God and live in His presence forever. This is really the story of the Bible – see Gen 2:8,19; 3:8; 16:7; 18:1; 32:24; Ex 3:8; 13:21; 19:20; 29:45,46; 33:14; 40:34,35; Lev 9:3-6; 26:11,12; Num 5:3; Deut 12:11; 1 Kings 6:13; Ps 132:13,14; Isa 7:14; 57:15; Ezek 37:27; 48:35; Zech 2:10; Matt 1:2123; John 1:1,14; 14:16-18,23; Acts 2:14; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:21,22; Rev 21:3. But if the holy Creator is to live with man an obstacle must be removed. This obstacle is man's sin (Isa 59:1,2; see note at

"Pavement" – Ezek 1:26; 10:1. 24:12 31:18; 32:15; Deut 5:22. 24:13 "Joshua" – 17:9-14. 24:14 17:10,12. 24:15 19:19. 24:16 16:10. 24:17 3:2; 19:18; Deut 5:4; Heb

111 EXODUS 25:21

may dwell among them. 9 You shall make it according to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its articles.

must not be taken away from it. 16 And in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give you.

17 "And you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, its length two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold. Make them out of hammered gold at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end. You must make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat, at its two ends. 20 And the cherubim are to have their wings stretched out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces are to look toward one another. The faces of the cherubim are to be toward the mercy seat. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the

10 "And they shall make an ark of acacia wood, its length two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit and a half. 11 And you shall overlay it with pure gold; overlay it on the outside and on the inside, and make a gold molding on it all around. 12 And you shall cast four gold rings for it, and put them on the four corners of it, two rings on one side of it, and two rings on its other side. 13 And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, so that the ark can be carried with them. 15 The poles are to be in the rings of the ark; they

Gen 3:24). Here at the giving of His holy law God knew that people would break it. In love He provided a way to cover their sin, to make atonement for them that He might live among them. It is a way of holiness and sacrifice. 25:9 "Tabernacle" – two different Hebrew words were used for the tabernacle. One was the common word for "tent", the other was one of the common words for "dwelling". It was sometimes called the tent of meeting (because God's presence was there for the people to approach – 25:22; 29:42; 30:36). It was also called the tent of the testimony (because there the stone tablets of the law were kept).

half a meter. 25:10-16 "Ark" – 37:1-9; Num 3:31; 10:33; Deut 10:3; Josh 3:3-17; 6:4; Jud 20:27; 1 Sam 3:3; 4:1-11; 5:1-11; 6:1-21; 7:1,2; 2 Sam 6:2-17; 7:2; 15:24-29; 1 Kings 8:121; Heb 9:4; Rev 11:19. The ark was called by the name of the LORD (Jehovah) – 2 Sam 6:2. It is also called "the ark of the covenant" (Num 10:33). Therefore it seems safe to say that the ark symbolizes the presence of Jehovah God, the Lord of the universe, and His covenant with His people Israel. The two stone tablets containing the ten commandments, called "the testimony" in this verse, were a principal part of the law on which the old covenant was based, and were kept in the ark (Deut 10:2-5).

"Pattern" – God showed Moses the exact pattern because the tabernacle was to teach spiritual truth through material objects (25:40; 26:30; Acts 7:44; Heb 8:2,5; 9:1-24; Rev 11:19). The whole tabernacle is a picture of Christ and His work on man's behalf. The tabernacle was the means whereby God dwelt with His people. So was Christ. John 1:14 in the Greek actually has He "tented" or "tabernacled" among us. The tabernacle was filled with God's glory (40:34,35). Christ is the radiance of God's glory (Heb 1:3; John 1:14; Matt 17:2). The tabernacle revealed that the way of approach to God's presence was by the blood of a sacrifice brought into the holy of holies by the high priest (Lev 16:15-17). This signified the work of Christ for us (Heb 9:11,12,24). In the New Testament we do not have an explanation of each detail of the tabernacle, but the meanings of the main elements are clear enough. Let us study with reverence this pattern given by God. We should avoid unnecessary speculation and dogmatism about obscure elements of the tabernacle, and emphasize the main teachings God had given us here. Our object must not be to show our cleverness in discovering and teaching its mysteries, but to learn more of Christ and love Him more and follow His ways more closely. 25:10 "Cubit" – about 18 inches or nearly

It would be no mistake to think the ark signifies Christ, who is Jehovah's presence with His people. It is He who has the law of God in His heart (Ps 40:7,8 with Heb 10:5-7). Two other things were kept in the ark – a jar of manna and Aaron's rod which budded (Heb 9:4). The manna signifies Christ the spiritual food of His people (see 16:16). The rod of Aaron signifies Christ as High Priest (Num 17:1-11). For the possible meanings of acacia wood and gold see note at Ex 26:15-30. 25:17 "Mercy seat" – the Hebrew word used here comes from a verb which meant to cover over. A form of this word is used throughout the Old Testament to express the idea of atonement. See note on atonement at 29:33. Atonement was made on the cover of the ark. That was the place where God in mercy covered the sins of Israel and forgave them (Lev 16:15-17,30). 25:18-20 The cherubim were not images of God. At the time when the pattern was given for this tabernacle, God strictly forbade the making of any image of God (20:4). He certainly would not give here a command contrary to that. The cherubim were not put there to be worshiped, and they were never worshiped in Israel. The cherubim are mentioned in other places in the Bible (note at Gen 3:24). A design of the cherubim was

EXODUS 25:22 112

testimony that I will give you. 22 And there, from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will meet with you and I will speak with you about all the things which I will give you as commandments for the children of Israel.

with a bud and a flower, and so inall the six branches that come out from the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand shall be four bowls made like almond blossoms, with their buds and their flowers. 35 And there shall be a bud under two branches of it, and a bud under another two branches of it, and a bud under another two branches of it, to all the six branches that go out from the lampstand. 36 Their buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it. The whole of it is to be one hammered work of pure gold.

23 "You shall also make a table of acacia wood, its length two cubits, its width a cubit, and its height a cubit and a half. 24 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make for it a gold molding around it. 25 And you shall make for it a rim around it, a handbreadth wide, and shall make a gold molding around it for its rim. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners by its four legs. 27 The rings are to be near the rim as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. The table will be carried with them. 29 And you shall make its dishes and its ladles and its pitchers and its sacrificial bowls, for pouring drink offerings. You shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the Showbread on the table before me at all times.

37 "And you shall make its seven lamps. And they shall set up its lamps to give light in front of it. 38 And its snuffers and its trays are to be of pure gold. 39 He shall make it and all these articles out of a talent of pure gold.

40 And see that you make them according to their pattern, which was shown to you on the mountain.

"And you shall make the tabernacle with

ten curtains of fine woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet. You shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful craftsman. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. Each of the curtains shall have the same size. 3 The five curtains shall be joined to one another, and another five curtains shall be joined to one another. 4 And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outer curtain in one set, and also you shall make them on the edge of the outer curtain in the second set. 5 You shall make fifty loops on the one

31 "And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. It is to be made of hammered work. Its base and its shaft, its bowls, its buds, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 And six branches shall come out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand out from one side, and three branches of the lampstand out from the other side. 33 Three bowls made like almond blossoms with a bud and a flower are to be on one branch, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch,

woven into the veil that was placed before the holy of holies in the tabernacle (26: 3133). They may symbolize the glory and holiness of God, or indicate that there was a barrier for sinful men to come into God's presence, that only the high priest (who was a symbol of Christ) could do so. 25:22 30:6,36; Lev 16:2; Num 17:4; God met with the representative of His people at the place where the blood of the atoning sacrifice was offered (Lev 16:15,16). This signifies that the meeting place for God and man is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the way is by the blood He shed for sinners (Heb 10:19-23). 25:23-30 "Table" – Lev 24:5-7. The table signifies Christ, bearing the bread of life (John 6:35). Note at Ex 16:16.

light (John 1:4,9; 8:12; 9:5). He is the one who lights the way to God's presence. The lampstand had seven branches with their seven lamps. Seven is the Bible number of completeness and perfection (compare Rev 1:4,12,16; 5:6; etc). Christ is the perfect light. No other is needed to light the way to God, to give light for worship and service, and indeed there is no other. In the tabernacle there was no other light at all – not of sun, or moon, or of any other source. The priests did not need to bring their own light into the tabernacle. The seven-branched lampstand was enough and its lamps were never to go out. In the future city of God we see something similar (Rev 21:23).

"Talent" (v 39) – about 34 kilograms. 25:40 God repeated this instruction given in v 9. God is showing in symbolic form the way of approach to Himself. He is setting forth the person and work of Christ. So everything had to be made exactly as He says. 26:1-6 "Tabernacle" – 36:8-19. Fine linen signifies righteous deeds (Rev 19:8). Here it no doubt speaks of the righteous deeds of Christ, His sinless life among men. The colors of blue, purple and scarlet signify,

"Showbread" – literally, in Hebrew, "bread of the faces". In such a context in Hebrew faces indicate the presence of someone. A good translation here would be "The bread of the Presence", meaning the bread set in the presence of God. 25:31-39 "Lampstand" – 37:17-24. This seems a better translation of the Hebrew than "candlestick". It held lamps, not candles. The lampstand signifies Christ the

113 EXODUS 26:35

curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set, so that the loops are opposite one another. 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains together with the clasps, so that the tabernacle will be a unit.

under another board for its two tenons. 20 And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there shall be twenty boards, 21 and their forty sockets of silver, two sockets under one board, and two sockets under each other board. 22 And for the rear of the tabernacle facing west you shall make six boards. 23 And shall you make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. 24 And they shall be joined together at the bottom, and they shall be joined together at the top of it into one ring. Both of them shall be made this way and they will be for the two corners. 25 So there will be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under every other board.

7 "And you shall make curtains of goats' hair for a covering on the tabernacle. You shall make eleven such curtains. 8 The length of a curtain is to be thirty cubits, and the breadth of a curtain four cubits, and the eleven curtains are to be of the same size. 9 And you shall join five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shall double the sixth curtain at the front of the tabernacle. 10 And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the outer curtain in the first set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second. 11 And you shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together, so that it may be a unit. 12 And the part that is left over of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that is left over, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of what is left over of the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14 And you shall make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and over it a covering of badgers' skins.

26 "And you shall make bars of acacia wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, at the rear, facing west. 28 And the middle bar in the center of the boards shall reach from end to end. 29 And you shall overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold as places for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold.

30 "And you shall set up the tabernacle according to its pattern which was shown you on the mountain.

31 "And you shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen, the work of a skillful craftsman. It shall be made with woven cherubim. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold. The pillars will rest on four sockets of silver. 33 And you shall hang up the veil from the clasps, and you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there behind the veil. And the veil will divide for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. 34 And you shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 And you

15 "And you shall make boards for the tabernacle out of acacia wood, to stand upright. 16 A board is to be ten cubits in length. A cubit and a half is to be the width of a board. 17 Each board will have two tenons, fitted to one another. You shall make all the boards of the tabernacle like this. 18 And so you shall make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side, facing south. 19 And you shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets

perhaps, Christ's heavenly origin, His royalty and His sacrifice. The curtains covered over the articles in the tabernacle and made the tabernacle one. Inside the curtains were the light, the table with its bread, the altar of incense (30:1), the ark and the mercy seat, the tablets of the law, and the glory of God's presence. All this was inside the curtains – that is, they all signify spiritual realities which are in Christ. 26:7-14 "Curtains. . .for a covering" – 36:14,19. This was for practical reasons. It made the tabernacle waterproof. This outer covering, rough and lacking in beauty may speak of Christ's outer circumstances which veiled His glory (see Isa 53:2,3; Matt 13:55-57; Phil 2:6-8). "Badgers' skins" – or, possibly, the skins of dolphins or sea cows. We do not know

the exact meaning of the Hebrew word used here. 26:15-30 "Boards" – some commentators have suggested that acacia wood (from trees that grow in the desert) speak of Christ's humanity (Isa 53:2) and that gold speaks of His divine origin and glory (gold is associated with the divine glory in Rev 21:18,21. See also Ex 25:10,11). Silver perhaps speaks of redemption (Ex 30:11-16; Lev 5:15; Num 3:47-51). The Lord Jesus is the God-man (John 1:1,14; 1 Tim 2:5; Titus 2:13). His work was redemption (Eph 1:7; Titus 2:14). 26:31-35 "Veil" – a similar curtain was made for the temple (2 Chron 3:14). This veil separated the Holy Place with its lampstand and table of bread from the Most Holy Place where the presence of God dwelt over the ark. At the death

EXODUS 26:36 114

shall put the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south, and you shall put the table on the north side.

10 And its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets are to be of bronze. The hooks on the pillars and their bands are to be of silver. 11 And also for the north side there are to be hangings a hundred cubits in length, and its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of bronze, the hooks on the pillars, and their bands, of silver.

36 "And for the door of the tent you shall make a hanging of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen, made by a worker in embroidery. 37 And for the hanging you shall make five pillars of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Their hooks also are to be of gold. And you shall cast five bronze sockets for them.

12 "And for the width of the courtyard on the west side are to be hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars and their ten sockets. 13 And the width of the courtyard on the east side, facing east, is to be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings on one side of the gate are to be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 15 And on the other side the hangings are to be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets.

"And you shall make an altar of acacia

wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide. The altar is to be square, and its height is to be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners. Its horns are to be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with bronze. 3 And you shall make pans for it to receive its ashes. And make its shovels, its basins, its meat forks, and its firepans. You shall make all of its utensils out of bronze. 4 And you shall make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make four bronze rings on the network, in its four corners. 5 And you shall put it under the ledge of the altar underneath, so that the network will be halfway up the altar. 6 And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7 And the poles shall be put into the rings, and the staves are to be at the two sides of the altar, to carry it. 8 You shall make it hollow, out of boards. You must make it just as it was shown to you on the mountain.

16 "And for the gate of the courtyard there is to be a hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen, made by a worker in embroidery. There are to be four pillars and their four sockets. 17 All the pillars around the courtyard are to be banded with silver. Their hooks are to be of silver, and their sockets of bronze. 18 The length of the courtyard is to be a hundred cubits, and the width fifty everywhere, and the height five cubits of fine woven linen, and their sockets of bronze. 19 All the articles of the tabernacle for all of its service, and all its tent pegs, and all the pegs for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.

20 "And you shall command the children of Israel to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continuously. 21 In the tabernacle of the congregation outside the veil that is in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep the light in order from evening to morning before the LORD. This is to be a perma-

9 "And you shall make the courtyard of the tabernacle. For the south side of the courtyard, facing south, there are to be hangings of fine woven linen a hundred cubits long on one side.

of the Lord Jesus on the cross the veil in the temple was torn in two (Matt 27:51). Until the death of Christ the way into the presence of God was not fully revealed and opened. Now we have this new and living way through which anyone, by faith in the Lord Jesus, can come into the Most Holy Place into God's presence (Heb 9:8; 10:1922). Note on holy at Lev 20:7. 26:36,37 "Door" – this veil was to screen the holy place from the outer court where the altar stood. 27:1-8 "Altar" – this was the place where the blood of the daily sacrifices was sprinkled, where the offerings and sacrifices were consumed by fire. It was the first object met with coming from outside into the compound of the tabernacle. It signifies the cross of Christ where His blood was shed and where He offered Himself as a sacrifice to God for the sins of the world (John 1:29; 19:17,18; Eph 5:2; Heb 9:14; 10:10). This was the first step in opening the way into God's presence. The only way into the holy

place and the holy of holies was from the altar. The only way now is by the cross of Christ. 27:9-19 "Hangings" – these curtains, signifying a perfect righteousness (note at 26:16), kept out everyone from entering the tabernacle except the priests. The ordinary Israelite never got inside. In fact, he could not even see in. The height of the curtains was over seven feet. Perfect holiness and righteousness ban the sinner from God's presence. The way into God's presence then was not yet clearly revealed (Heb 9:8). The only way into the court of the tabernacle was through the gate. This, too, speaks of Christ. (John 10:9; 14:6). 27:20 "Oil" – 35:8,28; Lev 24:1-4. Oil signifies God's Holy Spirit (Zech 4:2-6) and anointing speaks of the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Isa 61:1; Luke 4:17-20). The lamp, which signifies Christ, was to burn continually. See John 3:34; Heb 1:9. The light which Christ is will never go out. 27:21 "Congregation" – note at 25:9.

115 EXODUS 28:22

nent statute throughout their generations for the children of Israel.

to their time of birth. 11 Like an engraver in stones, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel. You shall set them in gold filigree settings. 12 And you shall put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the children of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial. 13 And you shall make gold filigree settings, 14 and two chains of pure gold at the ends. You shall make them of braided work, and fasten the braided chains to the filigree settings.

"And bring near to yourself your brother

Aaron and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, so that he may serve me as priests. I mean Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother for glory and for beauty. 3 And you shall speak to all who are wise in heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest. 4 And these are the garments which they are to make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and an embroidered tunic, a turban, and a sash. And they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office. 5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, 6 and they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine woven linen, the work of a skillful craftsman. 7 It is to have its two shoulder pieces joined at its two ends. And so it is to be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven waist band of the ephod, which is on it, is to be of the same workmanship and material, of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet, and fine woven linen.

15 "And you shall make the breastplate of judgment, the work of a skilled craftsman. You shall make it like the work of the ephod. You shall make it of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet; and you shall make it of fine woven linen. 16 It is to be square, folded double. Its length is to be a span, and its width is to be a span. 17 And you shall set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones. The first row is to have a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; this shall be the first row. 18 And the second row is to have an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet. They shall be according to the twelve tribes, each one according to his name.

9 "And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel, 10 six of their names on one stone, and the remaining six names on the other stone, according

22 "And you shall make braided chains of pure

Perhaps "Tabernacle of meeting" would be a better translation. The meaning is that this was the place where God met the people, not the place where people met together for worship. 28:1 Before the time of the Exodus from Egypt the heads of families acted as priests and offered sacrifices (Gen 8:20; 26:25; 31:54). In Exodus God chose a particular family to act as priests for the whole nation (29:9). Aaron was the High Priest. The priests were to offer sacrifices for the people, manage the work of the tabernacle, and represent the people before God. In the New Testament Church there is no special group among believers whom God chooses to be priests. All believers in Christ are priests (1 Pet 2:5,9; Rev 1:6), and Christ is the only High Priest (Heb 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-22). Christ as High Priest offered himself as a sacrifice to God. This one sacrifice was perfect and complete and took away all the sins of God's people forever.

to God (Heb 13:15), their possessions (Rom 12:13; Gal 6:6,10; Titus 3:14; Heb 13:2,16; 3 John 5-8), and their service (Heb 13:16). They all have direct access into God's presence and their work as intercessors goes on much as that of Old Testament priests (Eph 6:18-20; 1 Tim 2:1,2). 28:2 29:29; 31:10; 39:1-31; Lev 8:7-9,30. 28:3 31:3,6; 35:25,31-35; 36:1; Isa 11:2; 1 Cor 12:7-11; Eph 1:17. 28:6-8 "Ephod" – 39:2-7; Lev 8:7. This was a garment something like a vest and was worn over the other clothing of the priests. 28:9-14 "Before the LORD" (v 12) – 28:29,30; 39:6,7. The bearing of the names on Aaron's shoulders signifies Christ our great High Priest bearing the names of His people before God. Shoulders speak of the place of strength (Isa 9:6; Luke 15:4,5). He bears and sustains His people by His strength and presents them to God continually (Heb 7:24,25). 28:15-29 "Breastplate. . .stones" – it is difficult to find out what particular gem is meant by each Hebrew name. In each gem there was a name of one of the tribes of Israel. The breastplate was worn over the

Believers now as priests have no animal sacrifice to make and none is needed. But they still have something to offer – their bodies to live or die for God (Rom 12:1,2; Phil 2:17; 2 Tim 4:6; 1 John 3:16), praise

EXODUS 28:23 116

gold for the breastplate, like a cord. 23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 And you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. 25 And you shall fasten the other two ends of the two braided chains to the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, in the front. 26 And you shall make two rings of gold, and shall put them on the two ends of the breastplate at its inside edge that is next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two more rings of gold and shall put them on the two sides of the ephod at the bottom, toward its front part, close to the place where it is joined, above the waistband of the ephod. 28 And they shall tie the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it may be above the waistband of the ephod, and that the breastplate may not come loose from the ephod.

woven work around its opening, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not tear. 33 And you shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, all around its hem. And make golden bells between them all around, 34 a golden bell then a pomegranate, a golden bell then a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. 35 And Aaron is to wear it when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place in the LORD's presence, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

36 "And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37 And you shall put it on a blue cord so that it may be on the turban. It is to be at the front of the turban. 38 And it is to be on Aaron's forehead, so that Aaron may bear the guilt relating to the holy things that the children of Israel will consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts. And it shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be accepted in the LORD's presence.

29 "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment on his heart when he goes into the Holy Place, as a memorial before the LORD continually. 30 And you shall put the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate of judgment, and they shall be on Aaron's heart when he goes into the presence of the LORD, and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before the LORD continually.

39 "And you shall make the embroidered tunic of fine linen, and shall make the turban of fine linen, and shall make the sash, the work of a weaver. 40 And you shall make tunics for Aaron's sons, and you shall make for them sashes and caps, for glory and for beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, so that they may serve me as priests.

31 "And you shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 And there shall be an opening at the top of it, in its center. It shall have a binding of

42 "And you shall make linen shorts for them to cover their nakedness. They are to reach from the

high priest's heart – the place of the affections. Christ our great High Priest now bears the names of His believers on His heart in heaven. He not only sustains them by His strength (vs 9-14), continually before God his heart is filled with love for them. 28:30 "Thummim" – Lev 8:8; Num 27:21; Deut 33:8; 1 Sam 28:6; Ezra 2:63; the probably meaning of the words "urim" and "thummim" is "lights and perfections". By their means God gave light on doubtful matters. Perhaps one gem lighted up for a positive answer, the other for a negative answer, but we cannot be sure. Now God's Spirit reveals God's will to believers. 28:31-35 "That he does not die" – so that he might not die in the course of his duties even the high priest had to be very careful to perform them just as God directed. There was danger of death for several offenses connected with the tabernacle –

being unclean and eating offerings (Lev 7:20,21) eating fat or blood of sacrifices (Lev 7:25-27) entering the holy of holies except once a year (Lev 16:2)

failing to burn incense in the holy of holies (Lev 16:13)

offering sacrifices somewhere else (Lev 17:4-14) eating sacrifices on the third day after they were offered (Lev 19:7,8)

unauthorized persons working on the tabernacle (Num 1:51) or approaching the sanctuary (Num 3:10) or touching the holy articles (Num 4:15).

All this was meant to show how holy are the things of God and how careful men should be in His worship and work. 28:36-38 "Plate. . .always on his forehead" – this was a continual reminder to Aaron that he was separated for this special work and that he was the representative of the people before God. 28:40 Verse 4; 39:27,28,41; Lev 8:13. 28:41 29:1-29; 30:30; 40:15; Lev 8:1-36; 10:7; Heb 5:1-4. 28:42 Lev 6:10; 16:4.

ministering in or entering the tabernacle without priestly garments (28:43)

failing to wash before entering (30:20,21)

misuse of anointing oil (30:33) making for oneself the incense (30:37,38)

117 EXODUS 29:21

waist to the thighs. 43 And they must be worn by Aaron, and by his sons, when they come into the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near the altar to serve in the Holy Place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. This shall be a permanent ordinance for him and his offspring after him.

bull. 11 And you shall kill the bull in the LORD's presence, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 12 And you shall take some of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the inner parts, and the upper lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But you shall burn with fire the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, outside the camp. It is a sin offering. 15 "You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. 16 And you shall slaughter the ram, and shall take its blood, and sprinkle it all around on the altar. 17 And you shall cut the ram in pieces, and wash its inner parts, and its legs, and put them with its other pieces, and with its head. 18 And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD. It is a soothing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

"And this is what you shall do to them to set them apart to serve me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, 2 and bread made without yeast, and cakes without yeast, mixed with oil, and wafers without yeast, spread with oil. You shall make them with wheat flour. 3 And you shall put them in one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams. 4 And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall wash them with water. 5 And you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and fasten them to him with the waistband of the ephod. 6 And you shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 Then shall you take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 And you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. 9 And you shall fasten them to them with sashes, to Aaron and his sons, and put the caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent ordinance. And so you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

19 "And you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. 20 Then you shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the large toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. 21 And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him. And he and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with

10 "And you shall have a bull brought before the tabernacle of the congregation, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the

baptism fulfilled the picture of Aaron the High priest and identified Him with His people. Note on Christ's baptism at Matt 3:13. 29:7 30:25; Lev 8:12; 21:10; Num 35:25; Ps 133:2,3. The Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit immediately after His baptism (Matt 3:13-17; Acts 10:38). 29:9 28;40,41; 40:15; Lev 8:1-36; Num 3:10; 18:7; 25:13; Deut 18:5. 29:10 Lev 1:4; 8:14. Laying hands on the sacrifice signified that the offerer accepted the sacrifice in his place, on his behalf. 29:11,12 Lev 8:15; Ex 27:2; 30:2. 29:13 Lev 3:3,4. 29:14 "Sin offering" – note at Lev 4:3. 29:15 Lev 8:18. 29:18 "Burnt offering" – notes at Leviticus chapter 1.

28:43 20:26. The garments of the high priest were for glory and beauty (vs 2,40). These garments signify the glory and beauty of Christ's activities in heaven as High Priest now. Believers on earth now, the priests of the new covenant, have no special garments. Their holy lives are to be their distinguishing mark, their glory and beauty. 29:1 Lev 8:1-34. 29:2 12:15; Lev 2:4; 6:19-23. 29:4 40:12; Lev 8:6. This washing was different from the daily washing the priests were to do in the laver (30:18-21). Christ fulfilled this type at His baptism (Matt 3:1317). It was then that He entered into His ministry. As regards believers, the priests of the New Testament, this washing speaks of the washing of regeneration (1 Cor 6:11; Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5). The daily washing in the laver signifies the cleansing of the believer when he sins (Ps 51:2,7; John 13:510; Heb 10:22; 1 John 1:9). Christ, the sinless Son of God, needed neither regeneration nor daily washing from sin. His

"Soothing aroma" – Gen 8:21; Ex 29:25; Eph 5:2. 29:19 Lev 8:22-29. 29:20 This signified that they were cleansed and sanctified completely from head to foot. 29:21 30:25,31; Lev 8:30.

EXODUS 29:22 118

him, will be consecrated.

their ordination in them. 30 And that son who becomes priest in his stead shall put them on for seven days, when he comes into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the Holy Place.

22 "You shall also take the fat and the rump of the ram, and the fat that covers the inner parts, and the upper lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and the right shoulder (for it is a ram for ordination), 23 and from the basket of bread made without yeast, that is in the LORD's presence, take one loaf of bread, and one cake made with oil, and one wafer, 24 and put all of this in Aaron's hands, and in the hands of his sons, and wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, as a soothing aroma before the LORD. It is an offering made by fire to the LORD. 26 And you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it as a wave offering before the LORD, and it will be your part.

31 "And you shall take the ordination ram and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the meat of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 33 And they shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration. But a stranger shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the meat of the consecration ram, or any of the bread, remains until morning, you shall burn that remainder with fire. It must not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 "And so you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. You shall take seven days to ordain them. 36 And each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. And after you have made atonement for the altar, you shall cleanse it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. And it will be a most holy altar. Whatever touches the altar shall be holy.

27 "And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the lifted up offering, what was waved and which was presented from the ram for the consecration, that is, from what is for Aaron, and from what is for his sons, 28 and it shall belong to Aaron and his sons, an offering from the children of Israel by a permanent ordinance. For it is an offering lifted up. It shall be an offering lifted up from the children of Israel from the sacrifice of their peace offerings, their lifted up offering to the LORD.

38 "Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the one lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of pounded olive

29 "And Aaron's holy garments shall belong to his sons after him, for their anointing in them, and

29:23 Lev 8:26. 29:24 Lev 8:27. 29:25 Lev 8:28. 29:26 Lev 7:31,34; 8:29. 29:29 Num 20:26,28. 29:31 Lev 8:31. 29:33 "Atonement" – Lev 4:20,26,31; 16:6,16,30,34. Atonement in Old Testament days did not completely take away sin. It was impossible that the blood of animals could do so (Heb 10:4). Through these sacrifices God covered their sins, or passed over their sins, until such time as Christ should come and remove their sins completely and forever by the sacrifice of Himself. See Romans 3:24,25. Atonement in the Old Testament removed God's wrath from the people (Num 16:46-48). It made forgiveness possible (Lev 4:20; 5:10; Num 15:25). It made it possible for God to dwell among His people (Ex 25:8; 29:44,45). But it could not, and did not, really deal with the problem of sin or make the people fit for God's presence or prepare them to enter heaven after death. These things were accomplished only by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross – Heb 10:1-22. 29:34 12:10; 23:18; 34:25; Lev 8:32.

29:35 We can learn something from the order of the ritual in the ordination of the priests. Remember that the priests of the Old Testament signify all of Christ's believers now. The order was washing (v 4), dressing in holy garments, which speak of Christ's righteousness (v 8), application of blood to ear, hand and foot, signifying the whole person (v 20), sprinkling of the anointing oil, which speaks of the Holy Spirit (v 21), offering of the burnt offering, which speaks of full dedication to God (vs 22-25), appointing the food of the priest – sacrifices which speak of Christ (vs 26-34). Now believers are regenerated (Titus 3:5), dressed in Christ's righteousness (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21), sanctified by Christ's blood (Heb 13:12), anointed by the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:21,22; 1 John 2:20) and find their spiritual food in Christ (John 6:53-63). And they are to offer themselves to God (Rom 12:1,2). 29:36 40:10; Heb 10:11. 29:38 Num 28:3-31; 29:6-38. 29:40 "Tenth of an ephah" – about 2 liters. "Fourth of a hin" – probably about one liter.

"Drink offering" – Lev 23:23,18,37; Num 4:7; 15:5; 28:7.

119 EXODUS 30:20

oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall do to it as to the meat offering in the morning, and as its drink offering, for a soothing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

when he trims the lamps. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it. There is to be a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 9 You shall offer no strange incense on it, or a burnt sacrifice, or a food offering. And you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10 And Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. Once a year atonement shall be made on it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."

42 "This shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. There I will meet you and speak with you. 43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle will be sanctified by my glory.

11 "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 "When you take a census of the children of Israel to number them, then each one of them must pay a ransom for his soul to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. 13 This is what each one who comes to be numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel (a shekel is twenty gerahs). A half shekel shall be the offering for the LORD. 14 Every one who comes for numbering, twenty years old and over, shall give an offering to the LORD. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering to the LORD to make atonement for your souls. 16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall designate it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, so that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for your souls."

44 "And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar. I will also sanctify both Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 46 And they will know that I am the LORD their God who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, so that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

"And you shall make an altar to burn

incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood. 2 Its length is to be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It is to be square. And its height is to be two cubits. Its horns are to be of one piece with it. 3 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around, and its horns. And you shall make a gold molding for it all around. 4 And you shall make two gold rings for it under its molding. You shall make them on its two sides, on its two opposite sides, and they shall be holders for poles to carry it with. 5 And you shall make the poles out of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put the altar before the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.

17 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 "You shall also make a bronze laver, and its bronze base, for washing. And you shall put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet there. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire to the LORD, so that

7 "And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it every morning. He shall burn incense on it

29:42 25:22; Num 17:4. 29:45 Note at Ex 25:8. 29:46 20:2. 30:1-5 "Altar" – 37:25-29. 30:6 26:31-33. Sometimes the altar of incense was outside the veil that hung before the Most Holy Place. Sometimes it was inside the veil (Heb 9:3,4). The altar with its incense signifies Christ as intercessor (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 9:24; John 17:1-26). Christ as High Priest is the Mediator through whom the praises and prayers of God's people ascend to God (Heb 13:15; Rev 8:3,4). 30:7 The incense signifies Christ's own prayers. 30:8 Heb 7:25. 30:9 The altar and incense signify Christ as

intercessor, the one who prays for His people. There is no one else in heaven to mediate between God and God's people (1 Tim 2:5). So all other incense was forbidden. Burnt offerings etc, were not to be offered here but on the altar in the courtyard. Every symbol in the tabernacle was to be in its own place and unmixed with any other symbol. Note at Lev 10:1,2. 30:10 Lev 16:18. 30:12 38:25,26; Num 1:2; 26:2. 30:13 "Half a shekel" (also v 15) – about 6 grams. 30:18-21 "Laver" – 38:8; 40:30-32. The priests in their uncleanness must not try to approach the God whose whole nature is fiery holiness. In the Bible water is a symbol of the Word of God (Eph 5:26). Believers

EXODUS 30:21 120

they do not die. 21 And they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they do not die. This shall be an ordinance for them forever, for him and for his offspring throughout their generations."

30 "And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil for me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on man's flesh, neither shall you make any other like it, with its mixture. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever mixes any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a foreigner, shall be cut off from his people."

22 Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 "Take also for yourself the finest spices: five hundred shekels of pure myrrh, half as much, two hundred and fifty shekels, of sweet cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet calamus, 24 and five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the sanctuary shekel, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture of the perfumer's art. It is to be a holy anointing oil. 26 And with it you shall anoint the tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the candlestick and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 And you shall consecrate them, so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them will be holy.

34 And the LORD said to Moses, "Take for yourself sweet spices: stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, these sweet spices with pure frankincense. There is to be the same weight of each. 35 And you shall make an incense with it, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure and holy. 36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37 And as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not

are cleansed by hearing God's word (John 15:3), by meditating on it and obeying it (Ps 119:9). This laver, or basin, signifies Christ as the incarnate Word of God (John 1:1,14; Rev 19:13). Through him the Word of God came, and the Word of God is contained in Him as water in the basin. Now believers in Christ (the New Testament priests) through Christ may cleanse themselves from the defilement of sin (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 10:19-22). 30:22-25 "Holy anointing oil"– 37:29; 40;9; Lev 8:10. Anointing oil signifies the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God for service (27:20).

that is not given in God's way will not be acceptable to God. See notes on psalm 50, Isa 1:10-17, John 4:23,24, Col 2:18,23, Prov 14:12.

Special note: A Spiritual Exercise

This ends the description of the tabernacle, the pattern God gave to His people to reveal heavenly truths. It all speaks of Christ. It all symbolizes Him and His work for us and our privileges and responsibilities in Him. Believers in Christ now can use thoughts and meditations about the tabernacle to see clearly how they should approach and worship God. In spirit we come with our offerings to the entrance of the tabernacle compound which speaks of Christ "the gate" (John 10:7). The ordinary Israelite could not enter the tabernacle or the compound, but we as New Testament believers are also priests (1 Peter 2:5,9), so we enter and the glories of the new covenant begin to open to our view.

"Five hundred shekels" (v 23) – about 6 kilograms.

"A hin" (v 24) – about 4 liters. 30:26-29 "Consecrate" (v 29) – 40:9; Lev 8:10; Num 7:1. 30:30 29:7; Lev 8:12. Now all believers are anointed by Christ and consecrated by Christ to minister as priests to God (2 Cor 1:21,22; 1 John 2:20,27; John 14:16,17; 20:21,22). 30:31-33 "Cut off" – God gave this severe warning because the oil signifies His Holy Spirit. No man can duplicate His power and influence, and no one should try. He cannot be bestowed on anyone except priests (all believers now). It is wicked presumption to try to use Him for our own purposes (see Acts 8:18-23). For other offenses against the tabernacle and its articles which brought danger of death see note at 28:35. 30:34-38 "Incense" – the incense speaks of Christ's intercessions, holy and fragrant to God. The warning in v 38 is to signify perhaps that prayer and worship are not to be for selfish reasons, not self-manufactured. The person who is not a believer must not intrude into holy things. Worship

First we approach the altar of burnt offering. There we look on the fire and the poured out blood and the animal sacrifices burned to ashes, and remember again the Lamb of God, the one great sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, the blood and life of the Lord Jesus poured out for us on Calvary (John 1:29; Rom 3:25; 2 Cor 5:21). He was both sacrifice and High Priest who offered the sacrifice (Heb 8:1-3; 9:11,12). Sacrifices were to be offered daily on the tabernacle's literal altar, but on Calvary Jesus was offered once and for all for our sins (Heb 10:10-14). That one sacrifice cannot be repeated, it is not necessary that it be repeated, and no one should even dream of trying to repeat it. But daily we should keep it in memory and bow in adoration at His feet.

121 EXODUS 31:6

make its composition for yourself; it shall be to you holy for the LORD. 38 Whoever makes any like it to smell it, shall be cut off from his people."

and in all kinds of crafts, 4 to make artistic designs, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, 5 and in cutting of stones, for setting them, and in carving of timber, to work in all kinds of crafts. 6 And I, I myself, have given Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan to work with him.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "See, I have called Bezaleel by name; he is the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge,

"And I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are wise in heart, so that they may make all that I

At this altar we remember too our death in Him (Rom 6:3,4,8; 2 Cor 5:15; Col 3:3), and as New Testament priests we here offer our sacrifices – our praises, and all that we are and all we have and all that is within us (Rom 12:1,2; Heb 13:15,16; Luke 14:33). We take our proper place of death to self and lay ourselves, as it were, on the altar to be a burnt offering for God alone, and as those risen from the dead in Christ (Eph 2:5,6) move forward to live for Him (Lev 1:3-17; Luke 9:23; 2 Cor 5:15). From the altar Christ our great High Priest leads us to the basin or laver filled with water, and there by using the Word of God and by the Spirit of God we wash away any defilement, any uncleanness there may be in our thoughts, motives or behavior (2 Cor 7:1; Heb 10:22). Still as priests we continue on with Him to the tabernacle building itself, the Holy Place, and enter. There we stand in the only light in that place, the light of the sevenbranched lampstand which speaks of Christ (John 8:12). And there we resolve again to walk in His light and behave as children of the light (Eph 5:8,9; 1 John 1:7). And there we view the bread on the table and partake of the Bread of life which it symbolizes (John 6:35). We feed on Him by meditating on His excellent qualities and deeds and how they relate to us, and by opening our hearts afresh to His presence. In this way of faith we receive strength from Him for our daily walk as pilgrims in a fallen world. And there in the Holy Place we see Christ as our intercessor and mediator (Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5), symbolized by the altar of incense, and offer our prayers to mingle with His. And then we face the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, the holy of holies.

Heb 9:3,4, perhaps signifying that Christ can be in more than one place at the same time, in God's presence in heaven and with us here on earth).

And there is the Ark with its atonement cover, speaking of its heavenly counterpart that is sprinkled with the blood of Christ which enables us to approach infinite holiness (Heb 9:12; 10:19; 12:24). And there above the cover are the cherubim. And there between the cherubim is the cloud of glory, the presence of the eternal God, the Creator of the universe. And here we bow in His holy presence, with Christ our great High Priest at our side, being united to Him, and present ourselves to God our Father. And in the Spirit we worship Him and pray for our needs and intercede for others. And He hears us because we have come in the way He has provided and appointed. And He wants us to come and welcomes us with love and compassion and mercy and grace (Heb 4:16).

The Old Testament priests were active every day in the tabernacle. A daily spiritual exercise such as the one suggested above would not be without value to us who are New Testament priests. For the tabernacle reveals something of the glory and love and power of Christ, and reminds us that each day of our lives we need to be aware of His sacrifice for us, that we need to bring Him the offering of ourselves, that we need to be clean, and can be clean, in all that we do, that we need His light on our daily path, that we need to get our strength each day by feeding on the Bread of life, that we need His constant intercessions for us, and that we need to pray ourselves and worship lowly and gratefully at His throne.

Certainly we should all remember these truths daily and apply them in our lives. Of course, a mere ritual, going through the forms of worship without proper understanding or without heart, is an empty and useless thing (John 4:24). But making use of the tabernacle to remember all the wonderful truth God revealed through it, and heartily entering into that truth, can be of great benefit. 31:1 35:30 - 36:1. 31:2 1 Chron 2:20. 31:3-6 "All kinds of crafts" – 35:31,34; 1 Kings 7:14. Now believers are engaged in the spiritual work of cooperating with God in the construction of His holy temple, the Church, which is Christ's body (Eph 1:22,23; 2:19-22; 4:11-13). For this work great wis-

In Old Testament days no ordinary priest dared go through that curtain, but only the high priest, and that but once a year (Lev 16:2,34; Heb 9:7). But we, the New Testament priests, can enter there, can enter every day, and any time of day or night. Christ the great High Priest has opened up a new and living way through the veil, that is, His flesh (Heb 10:19-22). He takes us by the hand and leads us in. We are united to Him, are members of His Body, and so enter with Him (1 Cor 12:12,13). And there again we see the altar of incense, Christ our intercessor and mediator (the altar of incense was sometimes in the Holy Place and sometimes in the Most Holy Place –

EXODUS 31:7 122

have commanded you: 7 the tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, 8 and the table and its articles, and the pure candlestick with all its articles, and the altar of incense, 9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its articles, and the laver and its base, 10 and the woven garments, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons, to serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil, and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They will do everything just as I have commanded you."

observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he ceased working, and was refreshed."

18 And when he had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him two tablets of testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

And when the people saw that Moses wassolongincomingdownoutofthemountain, the people gathered together around Aaron, and said to him, "Up, make us gods who will go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him."

12 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, "You shall surely observe my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

2 And Aaron said to them, "Break off the gold earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 And all the people broke off the gold earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he took them from their hand, and after he had made a calf in a mold, he fashioned it with a carving tool.

14 "Therefore you shall observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death. For whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days work may be done, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death.

And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

16 "Therefore the children of Israel shall

God". The Hebrew word for God is Elohim (see note at Gen 1:26). It is also the word for gods. When used for God, if a verb is used in connection with the word, it is always a singular form of the verb, but when used for gods, it is a plural form of the verb. Here there is no verb in Hebrew. 32:2-4 Here is a very terrible thing! A horrible sin by God's high priest and the people! A sin ever after condemned in the Bible (32:21,30; Deut 9:16,20; Neh 9:18; Ps 106:19-21; Acts 7:39-41). Learn by this what man's heart is like. God had repeatedly, miraculously, marvelously revealed Himself to them in great power and glory. But they simply did not care. They wanted only to act according to their sinful nature. They wanted to do things in their own way, not God's way (and let us not vainly imagine that by nature we are better than they – Rom 3:912). The Israelites had seen calf worship in Egypt no doubt, and contrary to God's word, and to reason itself, they wanted to follow the custom of a people whose gods had been proved powerless and empty.

dom and skill are required. These God gives to His chosen ones through the Holy Spirit (John 14:16; 1 Cor 3:10,11; 12:4-11; Col 2:2,3,10). The name Bezalel means "in the shadow of God". Oholiab means "the Father's Tent". Believers should rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Ps 91:1), be filled with God's Spirit for God's work (Eph 5:18), and participate in the raising of their heavenly Father's tent on earth. 31:13 20:8; Ezek 20:12,20. The Sabbath was to be a constant weekly reminder to Israel that God had chosen them and made a covenant with them.

"Who sanctifies you" – this may also be translated "who makes you holy" or "who sets you apart", the meaning of "sanctified". 31:14-16 "Put to death" – a very severe warning indeed. The reason for it was this: disobeying God's commandments about the Sabbath was presumptuously, arrogantly defying God who had chosen them and covenanted with them. 31:17 Gen 1:31; 2:2,3; Ex 20:11. 31:18 24:12; 34:29; Deut 4:13; 5:22; 9:10,11. 32:1 Moses spent 40 days and nights on the mountain (24:18). The people, in spite of their assurance and solemn promise (19:8; 24:3), could not keep the first and most important of God's commands (20:3) even as long as six weeks (v 8)!

"These are your gods" (v 4) – or, possibly, "This is your God". There is no verb here in Hebrew. But whether it is translated gods or God, the truth of the matter is this: They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image of an ignorant four-footed beast, and this is among the very worst sins it is possible to commit. See Romans 1:21-23.

"Make us gods" – this could also be translated "make us a god", or "make us a

123 EXODUS 32:21

5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation, and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD." 6 And they rose up early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

rael, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, and said to them, 'I will make the number of your offspring like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they will inherit it for ever.'" 14 And the LORD relented concerning the disaster which he had said he would do to his people. 15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; they were written on the one side and on the other. 16 And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

7 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have molded a calf for themselves, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who have brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'"

17 And when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp." 18 And he said, "It is not the sound of a victory shout, nor is it the sound of a cry of defeat; it is the sound of singing I hear."

9 And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and, look, it is a stiffnecked people. 10 So now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn against them, and so that I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation."

19 And it came about, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing. And Moses' anger burned, and he hurled the tablets out of his hands, and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf which they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.

11 And Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, why does your wrath burn against your people, whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak and say, 'He brought them out for disaster, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?' Turn from your fierce wrath, and relent concerning this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Is-

21 And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin on them?"

32:5,6 "Feast" – a feast to the LORD before an idol was a horrible violation of God's second commandment (20:4). Idolatry is deeply ingrained in man's fallen nature. The people wanted their idols so much that they tried to mix this forbidden thing with a worship of the true God (Acts 7:41). But God will never accept this nauseous mixture of truth and error. See 1 Kings 18:21; etc. This feast turned into a sinful revel (verses 19,25; 1 Cor 10:7). 32:7 God says to Moses "your" people – perhaps an indication that Moses must identify himself with them in the intercession to follow. 32:8 "Quickly" – within 40 days. 32:9 33:3,5; 34:9; Isa 48:4; Acts 7:51; Rom 10:21. 32:10 "Let me alone" – God was testing Moses. He had not determined to destroy the tribes of Israel. He had given prophesies regarding them which had to be fulfilled (Gen 48:15-19; 49:1-28; 50:24). Notice God's words "let me alone" – as if the all-powerful God could not do as He pleased unless Moses let Him! Actually this was an invitation to Moses to intercede. The people deserved to be destroyed (22:20; Lev 26:30). But in answer to Moses' prayer God would spare them.

etc. Often in the Bible, as here, we see God's anger aroused because of idolatry. 32:11-13 "Forever" – Deut 9:18,26. So Christ intercedes for His people now (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 1 John 2:1). Moses had no selfish ambition. He was thinking of God's glory, not his own. He refused God's offer and gave three reasons why God should not destroy the people – they were God's people, not Moses' people (v 11 compare v 7); He should not give cause to the Egyptians to misunderstand God's dealings and purposes; and He must remember His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 15:5; 22:16-18; 26:4; 28:13,14). 32:14 See how the prayers of a righteous man work together with the purposes and promises of God to accomplish God's plan (compare Jam 5:16). God indicated He would destroy them only if Moses "let Him alone". But Moses would not let Him alone. And of course, God knew he would not. Compare Heb 7:25. 32:15,16 31:18; Deut 9:15. 32:19 Deut 9:17. They had broken the law. His breaking of the tablets symbolizes this. Moses shared God's anger against the people's sin. Compare Mark 3:5. 32:20 Deut 9:21. 32:21 Deut 9:20; Neh 9:18; Acts 7:39.

"Wrath" – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11;

EXODUS 32:22 124

22 And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, 'Make gods for us who will go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him.' 24 And I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.' So they gave it to me. Then I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."

which you have written."

33 And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34 Therefore go now, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. Look, my angel will go before you. Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin on them."

35 And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

25 And when Moses saw that the people were out of control (for Aaron had let them get out of control to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Who is on the LORD's side? Let him come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered together near him.

And the LORD said to Moses, "Depart, and go up from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your offspring. 2 And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. Since you are a stiffnecked people I will not go up among you, so that I may not consume you on the way."

27 And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Each man put his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each man kill his brother, and each man his friend, and each man his neighbour.'" 28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 For Moses had said, "Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, each man against his son, and against his brother, so that he may grant you a blessing this day."

4 And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and none of them put on his ornaments. 5 For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiffnecked people. If I come up among you for a moment, I will consume you. Therefore now put your ornaments away from you, so that I may know what to do to you." 6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

30 And it came about on the next day that Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin, but now I will go up to the LORD. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." 31 And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Oh, this people have committed a great sin, and have made gods of gold for themselves.

7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, at a distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And it came about that anyone who sought the LORD went out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 And it was like this: when Moses went out to the

32 "Yet now, if you will forgive their sin forgive; but if not, I pray you to blot me out of your book

32:22,23 Aaron tried to cast the responsibility of that sin on others (compare Gen 3:12). Did he not realize he was as prone to evil as the people? 32:24 This was an outright lie (v 4; Acts 7:41). 32:25 "Out of control" – the KJV has "naked" here, which may just be possible; but it is an unlikely translation of the Hebrew word, which means, among other things, to loosen restraints. 32:25-28 Deut 33:9. For a similar incident see Num 25:7-13. 32:29 The Levites were to receive a blessing because they alone put God first, and were willing to be obedient instruments in His hands to punish the people for their sin. Before the whole nation they stood up on the side of justice and truth. God rewards such people. 32:32 Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1; Mal 3:16,17; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; 20:12,15; 21:27. For a similar expression of deep love for Israel see Rom 9:1-3. The Lord Jesus Christ in the fullest sense was willing to die that

others might live. This love should be in all Christ's believers (1 John 3:16). 32:33 Ps 9:5; Rev 3:5. 32:34 "Angel" – 23:20; note at Gen 16:7. "Visit" – the Hebrew word may also mean "punish". Ps 99:8; Deut 32:35; Rom 2:5,6. 32:35 Though God decided not to destroy the people completely, He expressed His displeasure and anger at their behavior (vs 27,28). See Num 12:14; 14;22,23; 25:3. 33:1 Gen 12:7. 33:2 "Angel" – not the angel of the LORD but an angel. See note at Gen 16:7. "Jebusites" – Josh 24:11. The sins of the Amorites was now full (Gen 15:16) and God would drive them out and plant His own people in their land. See notes at Gen 6:7; Lev 18:24. 33:4 Num 14:1,39. The people wished to do as they pleased without regard to God's commandments, but they still wanted God to be with them. This is what mankind in general is like. 33:7 "Tent" – not the tabernacle (KJV). It

125 EXODUS 34:6

tent, all the people rose up, and each one stood at his tent door, and looked after Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 And it came about as Moses went into the tent, the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tent, and the LORD talked with Moses. 10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tent door, and all the people rose up and worshipped, each one in his tent door. 11 And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When he returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not go out of the tent.

glory."

19 And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." 20 And he said, "You cannot see my face, for there no man will see me, and live."

21 And the LORD said, "Look, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on a rock. 22 And it shall come about, when my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand when I pass by, 23 and I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But my face will not be seen."

12 And Moses said to the LORD, "See, you say to me, 'Bring up this people', and you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and also you have found grace in my sight.' 13 So now, I pray you, if I have found grace in your sight, show me now your way, so that I may know you, so that I may find grace in your sight. And consider that this nation is your people."

And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two stone tablets like the first, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. 3 And no one is to come up with you, and do not let anyone be seen throughout the whole mountain, and do not let flocks or herds feed in front of the mountain."

14 And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

15 And he said to him, "If your presence does not go with me, do not take us up from here. 16 For now how can it be known that I and your people have found grace in your sight? Is it not by your going with us? So we will be separated, I and your people, from all the people on the face of the earth."

4 And he cut two stone tablets like the first. And Moses got up early in the morning, and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two stone tablets. 5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and

17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have said, for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name."

18 And he said, "I pray you, show me your

had not yet been constructed. 33:9 13:21. 33:11 Num 12:8; Deut 34:10. The Lord probably appeared to Moses in the form of a man or an angel (Gen 18:12). 33:12 33:2. Moses was not satisfied with a promise of an angel to accompany them. 33:13 A great prayer (compare Ps 25:4; 27:11; 51:13; 86:11). God answered Moses' prayer (Ps 103:7). Moses' desire to know God more fully is an example to all of us (John 17:3; Eph 1:17; 4:13; Phil 3:8,10; Col 1:10; 2 Pet 1:3; 3:18; Jer 9:23,24. 33:14 God's presence was the one thing Moses wanted above all else. God's presence alone can give rest (Deut 12:10; 25:19; Josh 21:44; 22:4; Isa 14:3; 30:15; Matt 11:28,29; Heb 4:9. 33:15,16 Lev 20:24,26; Num 23:21-24; Deut 33:29. 33:18 Another great request. The whole Bible is the story of God's glory, from the old creation in Genesis chapter 1 (Ps 19:1), to the new creation in Revelation chapters 21 and 22 (Rev 21:23). See Ex 40:34,35; Num 14:21; Deut 5:24; 1 Kings 8:11; Ps 8:1; 72:19; Isa 6:3; 40:5; 59:19; Ezek 1:28; 43:2; Matt 16:27; 17:2; 24:30;

John 1:14; 17:5,24; Acts 7:2; Rom 1:23; 5:2; 2 Cor 4:6; Col 1:27; Heb 1:3; Jam 2:1; Jude 24:25; Rev 1:6,14-17; 4:11; 21:11. 33:19 "Goodness" – God's goodness is part of His glory.

"Name" – to proclaim His name is to reveal His nature. This He does in 34:6,7.

"Mercy" – Rom 9:15. 33:20 John 1:18; 1 Tim 6:16. 33:21-23 "Rock" – Rock in the Bible is a symbolic name sometimes given to God, and Christ. It speaks of a firm foundation for God's people, a refuge from trouble (Deut 32:31; Ps 18:2,31,46; 28:1; 42:9. Notes at Ex 17:6, Deut 32:4 and Ps 118:22). 34:1 24:12; 31:18; 32:16,19; Deut 10:2,4. 34:3 19:12,13. 34:5 His name means His nature and attributes. See 33:19; John 17:6. He did more than simply state the name Jehovah (which Moses knew anyway – 3:14,15). He revealed His character and ways. 34:6,7 These are key verses in the O.T., revealing the name of Jehovah, that is, the nature of the one true God. 34:6 "Merciful" – Deut 4:31; Neh 9:17,31;

EXODUS 34:7 126

proclaimed,

would be a snare among you. 13 But you shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their sacred groves. 14 For you shall worship no other god; for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

"The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to get angry, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 maintaining mercy for thousands, forgiving wickedness and transgression and sin; yet not leaving sin unpunished; visiting the wickedness of the fathers on the children and on the children's children, to the third and to the fourth generation."

15 "Watch that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest when they prostitute themselves to their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you, you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, and make your sons prostitute themselves to their gods.

8 And at once Moses bowed his head toward the ground and worshipped. 9 And he said, "If now I have found grace in your sight, O Lord, I pray you let my Lord go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our wickedness and our sin, and take us for your inheritance."

17 "You shall make no cast metal gods for yourself.

10 And he said, "See, I will make a covenant. In the presence of all your people I will perform miracles such as have not been done in all the earth, not in any nation. And all the people among whom you live will see the working of the LORD; for it is an awe-inspiring thing that I will do with you. 11 Observe what I command you this day. Look, I will drive out before you the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 12 Watch yourself so that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going; it

18 "You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. You shall eat bread made without yeast for seven days, as I commanded you, in the time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt.

19 "All the first offspring of the womb is mine, and every firstborn male of your livestock, whether ox or sheep. 20 But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. And no one is to appear before me empty-handed.

Ps 78:38; Jer 3:12; Dan 9:9; Luke 6:36. "Gracious" – Num 6:25; 2 Chron 30:9; Neh 9:17,31; Ps 86:15; 111:4; 112:4; 145:8; 2 Cor 8:9; Eph 2:8. "Slow to get angry" – Num 14:18; Ps 86:15; 103:8; Joel 2:13. "Goodness" – Ps 23:6; 31:19; 33:5; 52:1; 107:8; Zech 9:17; Rom 2:4; 11:22; Eph 5:9.

(see also Isa 64:6,7; Jer 3:25; Dan 9:5,6,9,20). "Inheritance" – Deut 4:20; 9:26,29; 32:9; Ps 33:12; Eph 1:18. 34:10 A promise God now adds to the covenant He made with Israel at Ex 19:5; 24:7,8. He promises He will do astounding miracles for them and with them, not seen among any peoples on earth. (See the fulfillment in Josh 6:20; 10:11; 10:12-14; 24:12. See also Ps 72:18; 136:4.) 34:11 Note at 33:2. 34:12 23:32,33. 34:13 See 23:34; Num 33:52; Deut 7:5; 12:3; Jud 2:2. It was exceedingly important that Israel not defile itself with the idol worship of Canaan. So the command to destroy their idols was often emphatically repeated.

"Truth" – the Hebrew word also can be translated "faithfulness" – Ps 31:5; 57:10; 86:15; John 14:6; Titus 1:2. 34:7 "Forgiving" – Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Ps 32:1,2; 86:5; Dan 9:9; Matt 6:12; Mark 2:5,7,10; Luke 23:34; 24:47; Eph 1:7; 4:32; Col 1:14; 2:13; 1 John 1:9. "Not leaving sin unpunished" – this seems closer to the Hebrew than the KJV. Observe that the KJV has added the words "the guilty" in italics, words which are not in the Hebrew here. Ex 23:7; Num 14:18; Prov 17:15. Even such a God of love cannot forget holiness and justice. He cannot and will not spare the unrepentant and unbelieving. On "children" see notes at 20:5; Deut 24:16; Ezekiel chapter 18. "Visiting" – this seems to mean that God has so arranged human life on earth that the sins done by people affect their children for 3 or 4 generations. 34:8 Such a revelation of God's nature calls for worship, adoration, awe, love, and a lifetime of faithful service. 34:9 See how Moses includes himself in this confession – "our wickedness", "our sin"

"Groves"–this could be translated "Asherah poles" – Asherah was a goddess worshiped by the Canaanites. Note at Jud 3:7. If the meaning is "groves", it means groves of trees where the people engaged in idolatry. 34:14 20:3,5; Deut 4:24. 34:15 22:20; 32:8; Deut 32:37,38. "Prostitute" – here means to be unfaithful to God and worship other gods – Lev 20:5; Jer 2:20; etc. 34:16 Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12,13; 1 Kings 11:1-4. 34:17 20:4,23; Lev 19:4; Deut 5:8. 34:18 12:17. 34:19 13:2; 32:29. 34:20 13:13,15; 22:19; Deut 16:16.

127 EXODUS 35:21

21 "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. Even during plowing season and during harvest you shall rest.

put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with him.

22 "And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. 23 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. 24 For I will drive out nations before you, and enlarge your borders, nor will anyone covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.

And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together and said to them, "These are the things which the LORD has commanded you to do. 2 Work is to be done for six days, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever works on it shall be put to death. 3 On the Sabbath you shall not light a fire in any of your homes."

4 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded, saying, 5 'Take from among yourselves an offering for the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering for the LORD: gold, and silver, and bronze, 6 and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 7 and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and acacia wood, 8 and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

25 "You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifices with yeast, nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to be left until morning.

26 "The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk."

27 And the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." 28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread, or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

10 "And let every skillful person among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its crossbars, its pillars, and its sockets, 12 the ark, and its poles, with the mercy seat, and the veil that hides it, 13 the table, and its poles, and all its utensils, and the showbread, 14 also the lampstand for the light, and its articles, and its lamps, with the oil for the light, 15 and the incense altar, and its poles, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense, and the hanging for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle, 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils, the laver and its base, 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court, 18 the pegs for the tabernacle, and the pegs for the court, and their cords, 19 the woven garments for service in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to serve as priests."

29 And it came about that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (when he descended from the mountain the two tablets of testimony were in Moses' hand) Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had talked with the LORD. 30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel looked at Moses, seeing the skin of his face shining, they were afraid to come near him. 31 And Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 And afterwards all the children of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.

33 And Moses put a veil on his face until he had finished speaking with them. 34 But whenever Moses went in to the LORD's presence to speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out. And he would come out, and speak to the children of Israel what he was commanded. 35 And the children of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, and Moses would

20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel left Moses' presence, 21 and everyone

34:21 20:9,10. 34:22 "The year's end" – points to the first month of the Hebrew year (March-April). See note on 12:1-3. 34:22-26 23:14-19. 34:27 Observe that Moses himself wrote down what God said. See 24:4; Num 33:2; Deut 31:9. 34:28 This is the second time Moses spent 40 days in the mountain. The ten commandments are given in 20:3-17.

34:29-35 In 2 Cor 3:6-18 Paul contrasts the glory of the old covenant with the glory of the new covenant. Though the old had glory it is as nothing compared with the glory of the new. 35:2,3 20:9,10; Num 15:32-36. 35:5-9 25:1-9. In offerings made to God there must be a willing mind (vs 21,29; Deut 15:10; 1 Chron 29:3,5,9,14,17; 2 Cor 9:7; 8:12), otherwise the offering is not acceptable. God's people should count it a

EXODUS 35:22 128

Then Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every skillful person in whom the LORD had put skill and understanding to know how to do all kinds of work for the service of the sanctuary, worked according to all that the LORD had commanded.

whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whose spiritmadehimwilling,cameandbroughttheLORD's offering for the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 And all who were willing, both men and women, came and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and ornaments, all gold jewelry, and everyone presented an offering of gold to the LORD. 23 And everyone who had in his possession blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. 24 Everyone who presented an offering of silver and bronze brought the LORD's offering, and everyone who had acacia wood for any work of the service, brought it. 25 And all the women who were skillful spun with their hands, and brought what they had spun in blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them with a skill spun goats' hair. 27 And the leaders brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate, 28 and spices, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering to the LORD, each man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring something for all the kinds of work which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be made.

2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every skillful person in whose heart the LORD had put skill, each one whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work, 3 and they received from Moses all the offerings which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, for its construction. And they continued to bring him freewill offerings every morning. 4 And all the skillful men who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each one from his work which they were doing, 5 and they spoke to Moses, saying, "The people are bringing much more than enough for the building work which the LORD commanded to be done."

6 And Moses gave an order and they proclaimed it throughout the camp, saying, "Neither man nor woman should do anything more for the offering for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing more. 7 For the material they had was enough, and more than enough, for all the work to be done.

8 And every skillful person among them who was doing work on the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet. He made them with cherubim, the work of a skillful craftsman. 9 The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. The curtains were all of one size. 10 And he joined five curtains to one another, then joined the other five curtains to one another. 11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of the end curtain of the first set; he did the same on the end curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops held one curtain to another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and joined the curtains to one another with the clasps. So the tabernacle became a unit.

30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, "See, the LORD has called Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, by name 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge, and with all manner of craftsmanship, 32 to make designs to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, 33 and to cut stones for setting them, and in carving wood, to make any kind of artistic work. 34 And he has put in his heart, both his and that of Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with wisdom of heart to do all kinds of work, of the engraver, and of the artistic craftsman, and of the embroiderer in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, of those who do any work, and of those who make designs."

14 And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven of these curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain was four

building of God's spiritual house, the church which is Christ's body. Note and references on giving at 2 Cor 9:15. 36:5-7 See 2 Chron 31:6-10. This will be the result in any age, in any country on earth when God's people willingly and lovingly give to Him for His work. Then God's blessing will be on His people (Mal 3:10; 2 Cor 9:7-9). 36:8-38 26:1-37.

joy to give to God and His work. If we do not, there is something wrong with our spiritual condition. God's command to give of our substance to Him is a test of our love for Him and His work. If we love Him we will want to give something to Him. The people then were giving for the construction of a sanctuary so God could live among them. New Testament believers have the privilege of giving toward the work of the

129 EXODUS 37:21

cubits. The eleven curtains were of one size. 16 And he joined five curtains by themselves, and the other six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the end curtain in the set, and made fifty loops on the edge of the end curtain in the second set. 18 And he made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together, so that it would be a unit. 19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.

And Bezaleel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits and a half, its width a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit and a half. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold both inside and outside, and made a gold molding for it all around. 3 And he cast four gold rings for it, to be set in its four corners, two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark.

20 And he made boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, to stand upright. 21 The length of each board was ten cubits, and the width of each board one cubit and a half. 22 Each board had two tenons, equally distant from one another. He made these for all the boards of the tabernacle. 23 And he made boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side facing south. 24 And he made forty silver sockets on the bottom of the twenty boards, two sockets under each board for its two tenons, and two sockets under every other board for its two tenons. 25 And he made twenty boards for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, 26 and their forty sockets of silver, two sockets under each board, and two sockets under every other board. 27 And he made six boards for the west side of the tabernacle. 28 And he made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear. 29 And they were double from the bottom and so to its top and joined together to one ring. He did this for both of them for the two corners. 30 And there were eight boards; and they had sixteen silver sockets, two sockets under each board.

6 And he made the mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two cubits and a half, and its width one cubit and a half. 7 And he made two gold cherubim. He made them hammered out of one piece, at both ends of the mercy seat; 8 one cherub at the one end, and another cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at both its ends. 9 And the cherubim had outspread wings over the ark, and their wings covered the mercy seat, with their faces toward each other. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

10 And he made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, its width a cubit, and its height a cubit and a half. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made for it a molding of gold all around. 12 He also made a rim for it the width of a hand all around, and made a gold molding for its border all around. 13 And he cast four gold rings for it, and put the rings at the four corners of its four legs. 14 The rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table, were close to the rim. 15 And to carry the table he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 16 And he made out of pure gold the utensils which were on the table, its dishes, and its spoons, and its pitchers for pouring out the drink offerings.

31 And he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the west side. 33 And he made the middle bar to pass through the boards from one end to the other. 34 And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings out of gold to hold the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

17 And he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds and its flowers, were of one piece with it. 18 And six branches went out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. 19 Three cups like almond blossoms, a bud and a flower were on one branch, and three cups like almond blossoms, a bud and a flower on another branch, and so throughout the six branches going out from the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand were four cups like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers. 21 And a bud was under the first pair of branches, and a bud under the second pair of branches, and a bud under the third pair of branches, for the six

35 And he made a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen. He made it with cherubim, the work of a skillful craftsman. 36 And he made four pillars of acacia wood for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks also were of gold. And he cast four sockets of silver for them. 37 And for the tabernacle doorway he made a hanging of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen, of needlework. 38 And he made its five pillars with their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold; but their five sockets were of bronze.

37:1-9 25:10-20. 37:10-16 25:23-29. 37:17-24 25:31-39.

EXODUS 37:22 130

branches going out from it. 22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was of one hammered work of pure gold.

fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. The hooks on the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13 And for the east side, facing east, the hangings were fifty cubits. 14 The hangings on the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, their pillars three, and their sockets three, 15 and the same for the other side. On each side of the gate of the courtyard were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars, and their three sockets. 16 All the hangings of the surrounding court were of fine woven linen. 17 And the sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; and all the pillars of the court had silver bands.

23 And he made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its trays, of pure gold. 24 He made it and all of its utensils with a talent of pure gold.

25 And he made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit. It was square, and its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns. He also made a gold molding for it all around. 27 And he made two rings of gold for it under its molding, on its two sides, on its opposite sides, to hold the poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

18 And the hanging for the gate of the courtyard was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the width was five cubits, like the hangings of the court. 19 And their four pillars, and their four sockets were of bronze, the hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands of silver. 20 And all the pegs of the tabernacle, and of the surrounding courtyard, were of bronze.

29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.

And he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Its length was five cubits, and its width five cubits. It was square, and its height was three cubits. 2 And he made its horns on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with bronze. 3 And he made all the utensils of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the meat forks, and the firepans. He made all its utensils out of bronze. 4 And he made for the altar a grating of bronze below, underneath its ledge, reaching halfway up it. 5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the bronze grating to hold the poles. 6 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze. 7 And he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar to carry it. He made the altar hollow with boards.

21 This is the sum for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as account was made, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. 22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen. 24 All the gold that was used in the work of the whole construction of the sanctuary, the gold of the special offering, was twenty-nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

8 And he made the laver of bronze, and its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the women who served at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

25 And the silver of those in the congregation who were numbered was a hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel, 26 a bekah for each person, that is, half a shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who came to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty men. 27 And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets for the sanctuary and the sockets for the veil, a hundred sockets with the hundred talents, a talent for

9 And he made the courtyard. The hangings of the courtyard on the south side, facing south, were a hundred cubits of fine woven linen. 10 Their pillars were twenty, and their bronze sockets twenty. The hooks on the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11 And for the north side the hangings were a hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their bronze sockets twenty. The hooks on the pillars and their bands were of silver.

12 And for the west side the hangings were

37:25-28 30:1-5. 37:29 30:23-25. 38:1-7 27:1-8. 38:8 30:18. 38:9-20 27:9-19.

38:24 The weight of the gold was about one metric ton (1000 kilograms). 38:25 The weight of the silver was about 3.4 metric tons. 38:26 12:37; 30:13,15; Num 1:46.

131 EXODUS 39:31

each socket. 28 And out of the thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their tops and made bands for them.

in gold filigrees in their settings. 14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names. They had engravings like a signet, each one with its name, according to the twelve tribes.

29 And the bronze of the offering was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. 30 And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the bronze altar, and the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils of the altar, 31 and the sockets of the surrounding courtyard, and the sockets for the courtyard gate, and all the pegs for the tabernacle, and all the pegs for the surrounding courtyard.

15 And on the breastplate they made braided chains of pure gold, like cords. 16 And they made two gold filigree settings, and two gold rings, and put the two rings on two corners of the breastplate. 17 And they put the two braided gold chains in the two rings on the corners of the breastplate. 18 And the two ends of the two braided chains they fastened to the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, in the front of it. 19 And they made two gold rings, and put them on the other two corners of the breastplate, on its inside edge which was next to the ephod. 20 And they made two other gold rings, and put them at the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, toward the front of it, close to the place where it joined, above the woven waistband of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it would be above the woven waistband of the ephod, and so that the breastplate might not get loose from the ephod, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

And with the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made woven garments for service in the Holy Place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen. 3 And they hammered the gold into thin plates, and cut it into threads, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, the work of a skillful craftsman. 4 They made shoulder pieces for it to join it together. It was joined together at the two top ends. 5 And its skillfully woven waistband that was on it, was of one piece, and like it in workmanship, of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23 And there was an opening in the center of the robe, as the opening of a coat of mail, with a band all around the opening so that it would not tear. 24 And on the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and woven linen. 25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe, all around between the pomegranates; 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe to be worn for service, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

6 And they prepared onyx stones set in gold filigree settings, engraved, like signets are engraved, with the names of the children of Israel. 7 And he put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as memorial stones for the children of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

8 And he made the breastplate, the work of a skillful craftsman, like the work of the ephod, of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine woven linen. 9 It was square. They made the breastplate double. Its length was a span and its width a span, being doubled.

27 And they made tunics of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 28 and a turban of fine linen, and the fine linen caps, and linen breeches of fine woven linen, 29 and a sash of fine woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

10 And they set four rows of stones in it. The first row had a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; this was the first row. 11 And the second row had an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 12 And the third row had a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. 13 And the fourth row had a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were set

30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and inscribed on it a writing, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 31 And they tied a lace of blue to it to fasten it to

38:28 About 20 kilograms. 38:29 The weight of the bronze was about 2.4 metric tons. 39:1 31:10; 35:19. 39:2-5 28:6-12.

39:6,7 28:9-12. 39:8-21 28:15-28. 39:22-26 28:31-34. 39:27-29 28:39-42. 39:30,31 28:36,37.

EXODUS 39:32 132

the turban near the top, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

altar, and shall put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the surrounding courtyard, and hang up the hanging at the courtyard gate.

32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation was finished. And in what they made, the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses. 33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent, and all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets, 34 and the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the screening veil, 35 the ark of the testimony, and its poles, and the mercy seat, 36 the table, and all its utensils, and the showbread, 37 the pure lampstand, with its lamps, with the lamps to be set in order, and all its utensils, and the oil for light, 38 and the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door, 39 the bronze altar, and its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils, the laver and its base, 40 the hangings of the courtyard, its pillars, and its sockets, and the hanging for the courtyard gate, its cords, and its pegs, and all the articles for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation, 41 the woven garments for service in the Holy Place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, for service as priests.

9 "And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it, and all its articles, and it shall be holy. 10 And you shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, and all its articles, and sanctify the altar, and the altar will be most holy. 11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base and sanctify it.

12 "And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. 13 And you shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him, and sanctify him, so that he may serve as priest. 14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 15 And you shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, so that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing will be for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations." 16 And Moses did so. He did according to all that the LORD commanded him.

17 And it came about on the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was erected. 18 And Moses erected the tabernacle, and fastened its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

42 The children of Israel made all the work according to all that the LORD commanded Moses. 43 And Moses looked at all the work, and saw that in doing it they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. And Moses blessed them.

20 And he took the testimony and put it in the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the screening veil, and screened the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table, and arrange the things that belong on it. And you shall bring in the lampstand, and light its lamps. 5 And you shall set the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door of the tabernacle.

22 And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 23 And he arranged the bread on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of the congregation opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 25 And he lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

26 And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil, 27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD commanded Moses. 28 And he put up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

6 "And you shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. 7 And you shall set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the

40:3 "Testimony" – called this because the tablets with the ten commandments were kept in it. 40:15 Note on priest at 28:1. 40:16 Heb 2:3,5. 40:17 "Second year" – since leaving Egypt.

39:43 A job well done will have God's blessing (Lev 9:22,23; Num 6:23-26; John 12:26; Heb 6:10). 40:2 It took several months to construct the tabernacle and its furnishings. See v 17 and 19:1.

133 EXODUS 40:38

29 And he put the altar of burnt offering near the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered the burnt offering and the food offering on it, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

work.

34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to go into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud remained on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

30 And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there for washing. 31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet there. 32 They washed whenever they went into the tent of the congregation, and whenever they came near the altar, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went forward on all their journeys, 37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not travel until the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

33 And he set up the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the courtyard gate. So Moses finished the

40:29 29:38-42. 40:31,32 30:19,20. Moses was the great leader through whom the law was given. He spoke with God face to face. But he needed to wash in the laver just as the most ordinary priests (1 John 1:8-10). 40:34 1 Kings 8:11; Ezek 43:4,5; Rev 15:8. God came in glory to the tabernacle that He might live among His people. The glory of God filled Christ the Son of God, God's spiritual tabernacle for the same purpose (John 1:14,18; Matt 17:2; 2 Pet

1:16,17; 2 Cor 4:4,6; Col 1:19; Heb 1:3; Rev 1: 13-18; 21:23). 40:35 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chron 5:13,14. 40:36-38 13:21,22; Num 9:16-23; Neh 9:19; Ps 78:14. God knows just where His people should be, how long they should stay there, and where they should go when it is time to move, and He will infallibly guide those who trust and obey Him (Ps 32:8; 48:14; 73:24; Isa 58:11; John 10:2-5). "Fire" – note at 3:2.

LEVITICUS

Title:

The Jews called this book by its opening words in Hebrew – “And he called”. The name in English came from the name the Greek translators of the Hebrew Old Testament gave this book. Leviticus means “that which pertains to Levites”.

Author and date:

See the introduction to Genesis.

Themes:

One theme is the need for cleanness and holiness in every part of life. God is holy, so His people must be holy. See 11:45; 19:2; 20:7. Another theme is this: God can be approached only through sacrifice. See 16:1-17. Since man is sinful, atonement must be made for his sin. This book is highly symbolic and its symbols point to Christ and the relationship between Christ and His people. Some key words in this book are “sacrifice” and “offering” (nouns and verbs are used about 300 times), “clean” and “unclean” (used more than 130 times), “holy” (used 70 times), and “priest” or “priests” (used more than 170 times). The priests were those who represented the people before God, offered sacrifices and had charge of the worship in the tabernacle.

Contents:

Five most important offerings or sacrifices .................................................... 1:1-6:7 Burnt offering ........................................................................................... 1:1-17 Grain offering ............................................................................................ 2:1-16 Peace offering ........................................................................................... 3:1-17 Sin offering ............................................................................................... 4:1 - 5:13 Trespass offering ....................................................................................... 5:14 - 6:7 Continuous burnt offering ........................................................................... 6:8-13 Further instructions about various offerings .................................................. 6:14 - 7:38 Consecration of the priests ......................................................................... 8:1-38 The priests begin their work ........................................................................ 9:1-24 Death of Nadab and Abihu .......................................................................... 10:1-7 Instructions for priests ............................................................................... 10:8-20 Clean and unclean ..................................................................................... 11:1 - 15:33 Clean and unclean foods ............................................................................ 11:1-47 Purification after childbirth .......................................................................... 12:1-8 Instructions about skin diseases .................................................................. 13:1-46 Instructions about mildew ........................................................................... 13:47-59 Cleansing from skin diseases ....................................................................... 14:1-32 Cleansing from mildew ................................................................................ 14:33-57 Instructions about bodily discharges ............................................................ 15:1-33 The great day of atonement ....................................................................... 16:1-34 The place for sacrifice ................................................................................ 17:1-9 Eating of blood forbidden ............................................................................ 17:10-14 Forbidden sexual relationships..................................................................... 18:1-30 Various laws and regulations ....................................................................... 19:1 - 20:27 The holiness an duties of priests .................................................................. 21:1 - 22:33 God-appointed special times or festivals ....................................................... 23:1-44 Sabbath ................................................................................................... 23:3 Passover and Unleavened Bread ................................................................. 23:4-8 Firstfruits .................................................................................................. 23:9-14

135 LEVITICUS

Pentecost ................................................................................................. 23:15-22 Atonement ................................................................................................ 23:26-32 Tabernacles .............................................................................................. 23:33-44 Oil and bread to be continually before God ................................................... 24:1-9 Punishment for blasphemy .......................................................................... 24:10-23 A Sabbath year ......................................................................................... 25:1-7 Year of Jubilee ........................................................................................... 25:8 -55 Blessings for obedience .............................................................................. 26:1-12 Curses for disobedience ............................................................................. 26:13-46 Further instructions concerning individuals .................................................... 27:1-34

LEVITICUS 1:1 136

And the LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, If any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd, and from the flock.

tabernacle of the congregation. 6 And he shall skin the burnt offering, and cut it into its pieces. 7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and arrange the wood on the fire. 8 And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall arrange the parts, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar, 9 but he shall wash its inner parts and its legs in water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

3 “If his offering is a burnt sacrifice from the herd, let him offer a male without blemish. He shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. 4 And he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 And he shall kill the young ox before the LORD. And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the

10 “And if his offering is a burnt offering from the flocks, from the sheep or from the goats, he shall bring a male without blemish. 11 And he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood

1:1 Ex 25:22; Num 7:89. 1:2 In the first seven chapters of this book five different offerings are described – burnt, grain, peace, sin, and guilt. Three of these are called “soothing aroma” (burnt, grain and peace), the remaining two are not. None of these offerings could take away sin or make the worshiper perfectly fit for God’s presence (Heb 10:1,4). By bringing them the worshiper showed his faith and his desire for forgiveness and acceptance by God. God, seeing the believer’s offering, “covered” his sins and forgave him.

(2 Cor 5:14,15; Gal 2:20). We must, so to speak, lay our hands on His head, that is, accept Him as our offering. Otherwise His offering will not save us.

“Atonement” – Lev 4:20,26,31; 16:6,16,30,34. Note at Ex 29:33. 1:5 Note on priests at Ex 28:1. Here both the priest and the offering signify Christ. When Christ became a sacrifice He was also the priest who made the offering (Matt 26:26-28; John 6:51; Heb 7:26,27; 9:11-14). Blood in all Old Testament sacrifices signifies Christ’s blood (Matt 26:28; Rom 3:25; Heb 9:12,14,22), and the altar speaks of the cross where the Lord Jesus died. Note at Ex 27:1-8. 1:6 Note at 7:8. 1:7 6:8-13. Fire signifies the holiness of God – note at Ex.3:2. 1:8 Verse 12; 3:3,4; 8:20. 1:9 “Wash” – Num 15:8-10; 28:11-14. In the Bible water signifies both God’s Holy Spirit and God’s Word.

All of these offerings signify the Lord Jesus Christ the Lamb of God who was sacrificed to take away the sins of all His people, both those who lived before Christ and afterwards (John 1:29; Isa 53:7; Eph 5:2; Heb 10:12; 1 Pet 1:19; Rev 5:6,8, 9,12). It is Christ’s one offering that fits His people perfectly for God’s presence (Heb 10:14,19-22). Each of these five offerings in Leviticus signifies a different element in Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross. In each offering there are types and symbols, some clear as to meaning, some perhaps not so clear. We suggest certain meanings. Let the reader carefully and prayerfully search out the matter himself, comparing scripture with scripture. 1:3 The burnt offering signifies Christ in His entire obedience to God, His complete and willing offering of Himself in love to God (Matt 26:39; John 6:38; 10:11,17,18; Heb 10:5-7). This offering was burned completely on the altar (note at v 13). The ox probably signifies obedient service (Deut 25:4; Isa 1:3; Ezek 1:10), and here signifies Christ as the obedient servant of God (Phil 2:5-8).

“Soothing” – see note at Gen 8:21. See Ex 29:18,25; Num 15:3. It was a soothing smell to God because it spoke of Christ and His perfect surrender and obedience (Eph 5:2). All the offerings signify God’s delight in some aspect or the other of Christ’s offering. Those sacrifices not called soothing aroma are the sin and guilt offerings. These sacrifices speak of Christ in the guilty sinner’s place. It signifies Christ made sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), and a curse for us (Gal 3:13). To God there is nothing soothing about sin and guilt and the curse which had to be removed by His Son. 1:10 “Sheep” – the sheep signifies Christ in His meekness and gentleness as the sacrificial lamb of God (Isa 53:7; Matt 27:12-14).

“Without blemish” signifies Christ’s sinless, perfect human nature (Luke 23:4; John 8:46; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet 1:19; 2:22; 1 John 3:5). 1:4 3:2,8; Ex 29:10,15,19. Laying on of hands signified the acceptance of the offering in the place of the one bringing the offering. The person should have died for his sin, the animal died instead. Christ died for us, in our place, as our substitute

“Goats” – in the Bible God’s people are called sheep (Ps 95:7; 100:3; John 10:7,11,14-16; 21:16; Heb 13:20), and sinners are compared to goats (Matt 25:3133,41). The goat as burnt offering may signify Christ in the sinner’s place showing the surrender and obedience to God the sinner should show but does not (Isa 53:12; Luke 23:33).

137 LEVITICUS 2:11

all around on the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. And the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar, 13 but he shall wash the inner parts and the legs with water. And the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense. And the priest shall burn its memorial on the altar, as an offering made by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 3 And the rest of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons. It is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

4 “And if you bring an offering of a grain offering baked in the oven, it shall be cakes of fine flour made without yeast, mixed with oil, or wafers without yeast, anointed with oil. 5 And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour without yeast, mixed with oil. 6 You shall break it in pieces, and pour oil on it. It is a grain offering. 7 And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil. 8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 10 And what is left of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons. It is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

14 “And if his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from doves or from young pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. And its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar. 16 And he shall take away its crop with its feathers, and throw it beside the altar on the east side, by the place of the ashes. 17 And he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it completely in two. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

“And when any will offer a grain offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it. 2 And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it his handful of its

11 “No grain offering which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with yeast; for you shall burn

1:13 Unlike some other offerings this one was completely consumed by fire on the altar. This was the only one of these five offerings which could not be eaten by the priests. The particular sin offering the blood of which was taken into the Most Holy Place also could not be eaten (16:27). The other sin offerings, and all the other offerings the priests were permitted to eat, except some that were offered by the priests themselves. The burnt offering was all for God. In other words, one aspect of Christ’s sacrifice was for God alone (John 8:29; 17:4). 1:14-17 Doves and pigeons were the offerings of the poor who could not afford to bring bullocks, sheep, or goats (5:7; 12:8). Doves were the offering of Mary and Joseph at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:22-24). This shows their poverty. Doves and pigeons are associated in the Bible with mourning and innocence (Isa 38:14; 59:11). They may possibly signify Christ as the innocent man of sorrows (Isa 53:3; Matt 23:37; Heb 7:26). 1:17 Though the burnt offering signifies Christ, it also reveals what the believer should be and do (Rom 12:1,2). 2:1 “Grain offering” – vs 4,5,7,14. This was not an offering of “meat” (KJV), but of grain or meal, so it was necessary to change the KJV here. The Hebrew word does not at all mean meat. This offering signify Christ offering Himself, and the fruit of His life, as food for both God and His people. Believers feed on Him in their hearts by faith (John 6:51-58,63). Christ referred to Himself as both wheat (John 12:24) and bread

(John 6:35). Bread is made from wheat that has been ground, battered, crushed, and made into flour. Compare Isa 53:10; Matt 26:67,68; 27:26-30; Luke 12:50; Heb 2:10,18). 2:2 “Oil” – oil signifies the Holy Spirit (Ex 27:20). The Lord Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit for His ministry (Luke 3:22; 4:17-20; Acts 10:38). “Frankincense” – this was the most expensive of the perfumes of that day. It was used in making the holy incense for the tabernacle (Ex 30:34,35). It was one of the offerings brought to the Lord Jesus by the wise men (Matt 2:11). Does it not speak of the fragrance of His life and prayers?

“Memorial” – to God. That which was burned on the altar belonged wholly to God. Christ the food offering for His people was a source of satisfaction to God too. 2:3 John 6:33. All that signifies Christ is most holy. For note on “holy” see Lev 20:7.

“Belong to. . .his sons” – some of the offerings of God’s people went to the support of God’s servants. See v 10; 5:13; 6:26; 7:6-10. 2:4 Baked suggests the fierce and fiery trials the Lord Jesus went through (1 Pet 4:1,12,13). Note on yeast at Ex 12:8. 2:5 “Mixed with oil” may suggest that Christ was born of the Spirit as well as later anointed by the Spirit (Matt 1:18,20; Luke 1:35). 2:6 Matt 26:26. 2:11 Honey is corruptible. It may ferment and turn sour. There was no such thing in Christ.

LEVITICUS 2:12 138

no yeast, or any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire. 12 As for the offering of firstfruits, you shall offer them to the LORD, but they shall not be burned on the altar as a soothing aroma. 13 And you shall season every offering of your grain offering with salt; you shall allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be missing from your grain offering. You shall offer salt with all your offerings.

sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the inner parts, and all the fat that is on the inner parts, 4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them which is by the loins, and the lobe on the liver, with the kidneys which he shall take away. 5 And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt sacrifice, which is on the wood that is on the fire. It is an offering made by fire, of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

14 “And if you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh heads of grain dried by the fire, grain beaten out of full heads. 15 And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering. 16 And the priest shall burn its memorial, part of its beaten out grain, and part of its oil, with all its frankincense. It is an offering made by fire to the LORD.

6 “And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD is from the flock, male or female, he shall offer one without blemish. 7 If he offers a lamb as his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD. 8 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation, and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. 9 And he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to the LORD, its fat, and entire fat tail which he shall take off close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the inner parts, and all the fat that is on the inner parts, 10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them which is by the loins, and the lobe on the liver, with the kidneys which he shall take away. 11 And the priest shall burn it on the altar. It is the

“And if his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers it from the herd, whether it is a male or female, he shall offer one without blemish before the LORD. 2 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood on the altar all around. 3 And he shall offer from the

God because of man’s sin, and in this way brought peace. Peace with God brings with it the peace of God (John 14:27; 16:33; Phil 4:7,9; Col 3:15).

2:12 Leaven and honey which signify evil and corruptibility could be offered with first fruits because first fruits sometimes signify redeemed men who still have sin in them (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:5; Jam 1:18; 1 John 1:8-10). 2:13 Ezek 43:24; Mark 9:49,50; Luke 14:33,34; Col 4:6. Salt is the opposite of leaven. It preserves from corruption. Num 18:19 and 2 Chron 13:5 have the phrase “covenant of salt” in Hebrew. This means a permanent covenant never to be corrupted or changed. 2:14 Christ was crushed and put in the fire for us.

“Male or female” – the burnt offering had to be a male because it signified Christ Himself in His total obedience to God. The peace offering signifies what Christ did in the place of men and women alike to bring them to God. 3:2 1:4. Note on priests at Ex 28:1. 3:3,4 Unlike the burnt offering only part of this offering was burned on the altar. The breast and shoulder or thigh were food for the priests (7:31-34). The rest was eaten by the one bringing the offering. Eating speaks not only of that which sustains life, but of fellowship with Christ and God the Father (Matt 26:26; Luke 22:14-19; 1 Cor 10:16,17; 1 John 1:3; Rev 3:20). The offering speaks of having peace with God and feasting in joy and fellowship with God and fellow believers and the Lord Jesus. 3:11 “Food” – as food for whom? For God (21:6,8,17,22; Num 28:2; Mal 1:12). This “food” was not for the priest or anyone else. It was completely burned on the altar. God does not get hungry (Ps 50:7-15). He himself gives food to all and does not need man to give to Him (Acts 17:24,25). The “food” of God, that which brings satisfaction to God, is Christ and His sacrifice (Matt 3:17; John 10:17; Phil 2:8,9). Also it is like food to God to have peace and fellowship with men (note at Ex 25:8). This fellowship takes place in and through Christ alone. In Him

“Grain” – what we now call “corn” (maize) was not known in western Asia in those days. So it was necessary to change the KJV here, and in every other place where the word “corn” appears. 2:15,16 The grain offerings signify Christ but they also reveal what believers should be. They should be fully dedicated to God, purged of leaven (1 Cor 5:7,8 – every corruptible thing), seasoned with salt, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and fragrant in their lives of holy service to God. 3:1 7:11-34; 17:5. “Peace offering” – the Hebrew word here translated peace also means fellowship or friendship. This offering signifies the Lord Jesus as His people’s peace, making reconciliation between God and man (2 Cor 5:18-21; Eph 2:13-18; Col 1:20-22). Christ by His sacrifice destroyed the enmity, the alienation that existed between man and

139 LEVITICUS 4:12

food of the offering made by fire to the LORD.

the congregation in the presence of the LORD, and shall lay his hand on the ox’s head, and kill the ox before the LORD. 5 And the anointed priest shall take of the ox’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation, 6 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary. 7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour all the blood of the ox at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is near the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And he shall take off all the fat of the ox from it for the sin offering, the fat that covers the inner parts, and all the fat that is on the inner parts, 9 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them which is by the loins, and the lobe on the liver, with the kidneys which he shall remove, 10 as it was removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.

12 “And if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD. 13 And he shall lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation, and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood on the altar all around. 14 And he shall offer from his offering an offering made by fire to the LORD, the fat that covers the inner parts, and all the fat that is on the inner parts, 15 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them which is by the loins, and the lobe on the liver, with the kidneys which he shall take away. 16 And the priest shall burn them on the altar. It is the food of the offering made by fire for a soothing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s.

17 “It shall be a permanent regulation for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that you eat neither fat nor blood.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a person sins through ignorance in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and does any of them, 3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him bring for his sin which he has committed a young ox without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering. 4 And he shall bring the ox to the door of the tabernacle of

11 “And the skin of the ox, and all its flesh, with its head, with its legs and its inner parts and its dung, 12 the whole ox, he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. It is to be burned where the ashes are poured out.

God and man may meet and partake with one another in what Christ has done in the work of reconciliation. God and man both find this food in Christ only and in Christ together. 3:12 1:10. 3:16,17 7:26,27; 17:10-16. The blood is the life. The fat may signify the general health and vigor of the animal. It belonged to God. 4:1,2 In this chapter the sins of four categories of persons are in view: priests, the congregation as a whole, leaders, and ordinary individuals. All the sins mentioned are unintentional ones. Why is this? Was there no sacrifice for intentional sins? There was (16:30), but it was not stated here (see 6:1-7). Perhaps the reason for this was to emphasize that sin even committed unintentionally is still sin and needs atonement. How much more then sins committed intentionally. In the sacrifice of Christ for sin in the New Testament no distinction is made between intentional and unintentional sins. He died for sinners and all their sin, and all sin (except one) may be forgiven (Matt 12:31,32). 4:3 The sin offering signifies the Lord Jesus Christ in the sinner’s place, bearing their sin and their sinfulness and dying for them (Isa 53:5,6,12; Matt 26:28; John 1:29; Rom 3:25; 1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 1:4; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 2:2; Rev 1:5). Christ died for what we are as well as for what we have done. The sin offering

was most holy (6:25,29). It was altogether set apart for God. And though Christ bore the sins of the world, counted them His own and suffered in behalf of sinners and in their place, He lost none of His personal holiness. 4:4 1:3,4. 4:5-7 This is the only one of these five offerings the blood of which was taken inside the tabernacle and sprinkled in the holy place, and applied to the altar of incense. Perhaps this was to show that the holy place was defiled by the presence of the priests who served there daily. Atonement is needed wherever the steps of sinful man have fallen. 4:8-10 3:3,4,14-17. 4:11,12 “Outside the camp” – 16:27; Ex 29:14. This signifies the Lord Jesus suffering for men outside the gate, despised and rejected by His own people Israel (John 19:17-20; Heb 13:10-13), and enduring the punishment that sin deserved. All sin and uncleanness must be excluded from God’s camp. Christ was made sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), so was to be taken out of the camp. In the sinner’s place He had to be counted unworthy of a place in the city of God. Outside he had to suffer the fiery wrath of God against sin. This is signified by the sacrificial animal burning in the fire. In these sacrifices we see not only Christ’s suffering and death for sinners, we see also something of what the sinner deserves to suffer, and will suffer, if He rejects Christ

LEVITICUS 4:13 140

13 “And if the whole congregation of Israel sins through ignorance, and the matter is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and are guilty, 14 when the sin which they have committed against God’s command becomes known, then the congregation shall offer a young ox for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of the congregation. 15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the ox before the LORD, and the ox shall be killed in the presence of the LORD. 16 And the anointed priest shall bring some of the ox’s blood to the tabernacle of the congregation, 17 and the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, before the veil. 18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 19 And he shall take all its fat from it, and burn it on the altar. 20 And he shall do with the ox as he did with the ox for a sin offering. And the priest shall do just the same with this, and make atonement for them, and it will be forgiven them. 21 And he shall carry the ox outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first ox. It is a sin offering for the congregation.

all its fat on the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings is burned. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and it will be forgiven him.

27 “And if any of the common people sin through ignorance, doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and is guilty, 28 if his sin which he has committed becomes known to him, then he shall bring his offering, a young goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. 29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. 30 And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all its blood at the bottom of the altar. 31 And the priest shall take away all its fat, as the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and burn it on the altar for a soothing aroma to the Lord. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

32 “And if he brings a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish. 33 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the burnt offering. 34 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all its blood at the bottom of the altar. 35 And the priest shall take away all its fat, as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Thus the priest shall make atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

22 “When a leader has sinned, and through ignorance has done any of the things the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty, 23 if his sin which he has committed becomes known to him, he shall bring his offering, a young goat, a male without blemish. 24 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD. It is a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out its blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. 26 And he shall burn

“And if a person who is a witness sins, when he hears he is sworn in to testify about something he has either seen or known, by not telling it, then he shall bear his guilt.

2 “Or if a person touches any unclean thing,

the sinner’s substitute (Mark 9:47,48; 2 Thess 1:6-9; Rev 20:15; 21:8). 4:13 Num 15:22-26. 4:15 Corporate or national sin means corporate or national responsibility, and a sacrifice had to be made to atone for such sin. Perhaps there is a suggestion in this that Christ would die not only for the individual sinner, but for the whole Jewish nation (John 11:49-52) and for the Church as a unit (Eph 5:25). The sacrifice was the same as for an individual priest who sinned. 4:18 Verse 7. The prayers of Christ and His people’s prayers through Him, together with the remembrance of His blood, rise up to the heavenly Father. 4:20 Verses 26,31,35. They obtained

forgiveness not because the animal sacrifice took away their sin, but because Christ would come and take away the sins of His people by the sacrifice of Himself. 4:23 It is interesting that the priest was to offer a bull, the leader to offer a goat. Are leaders more likely to be “goats” than other men? or were the sins of the priests likely to be greater, more costly than others? 4:28 Christ died as a substitutionary sacrifice for both men and women. 4:32 A lamb would be cheaper and more easily obtained by the poor. 5:1-4 It seems that the sins indicated here could be either intentional or not. Both kinds of sin need atonement (4:1,2). 5:2 “Unclean” – note at 11:1.

141 LEVITICUS 5:19

whether it is the carcass of an unclean animal, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of an unclean creeping thing, even though he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean, and guilty.

he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

11 “But if he is not able to bring two doves or two young pigeons, then the one who sinned shall bring for his offering a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, its memorial, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings made by fire to the LORD. It is a sin offering. 13 Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin that he has committed in one of those matters, and it will be forgiven him. And the rest of the offering shall belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”

3 “Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever uncleanness it may be that defiles a man, and he is unaware of it, when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty.

4 “Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, if he is unaware of whatever it is that he has thoughtlessly sworn, when he comes to know of it, then he shall be guilty in either case.

5 “And it shall be, when he is guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that matter, 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a young goat, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

14 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 15 “If a person acts unfaithfully and sins, through ignorance, in regard to the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish from the flocks, its value set by you in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, for a trespass offering, 16 and he shall make restitution for what he failed to do in regard to the holy things, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it will be forgiven him.

7 “And if he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his trespass offering for his sin which he has committed, two doves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. 8 And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall first offer what is for the sin offering, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not sever it completely, 9 and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 And he shall offer the second one as a burnt offering, according to the regulation. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin which

17 “And if a person sins by doing any of these things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, even though he is unaware of it, he is still guilty, and shall bear his guilt. 18 And he shall bring to the priest a ram from the flock, one without blemish, its value set by you, for a trespass offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his error done in ignorance while he was unaware of it, and it will be forgiven him. 19 It is a

5:5 16:21; 26:40; Num 5:7; Ps 32:5; Prov 28:13; 1 John 1:9. 5:6 Note on atonement at Ex 29:33. 5:7 1:14. 5:10 1:14-17; 4:20,26. 5:11-13 Some were perhaps so poor that they could not buy even two doves. Only in such an extreme case would a sin offering without blood be permitted. But the flour was to be burned on the altar on top of the offerings that had been blood sacrifices. It mingled with them and so could be regarded as making atonement (see 17:11; Heb 9:22). Notice that no oil or incense was to be put on it. This was because it signified Christ in the place of sinners. The sin and trespass offerings were not offerings with a pleasing aroma (1:9). The sinner does not have the Holy Spirit, and to God there is no fragrance in his life. Remember that in the sin and guilt offerings Christ is the sinner’s substitute.

may mean tithes, offerings and first fruits. See 22:14-16. God demands restitution when it was possible for it to be made. See also 6:4-6. In these verses we have the first mention of the guilt offering. It could be translated “trespass offering”. The guilt offering and sin offering were very similar and there was one law for both (7:7). The difference between them was that the guilt offering was for those offenses that required restitution, the sin offering was for other types of sin. This suggests that the guilt offering had to do with the outward results of sin and the sin offering had to do with sin itself. Christ fulfilled what both these offerings signify. He died in the place of sinners, was made sin for us. He also died for our sins, and for the results of our sins.

“Shekel” (v 15) – about 11.5 grams. 5:17-19 Every one of us has sinned against God, at times without knowing it. Sin done unknowingly is still sin and we are responsible for it and it requires atonement. Thank God, Christ died for all our sins, known and unknown.

“Tenth of an ephah” (v 11) – probably about 2 liters. 5:15,16 Here the holy things of the Lord

LEVITICUS 6:1 142

trespass offering. He was certainly guilty against the LORD.”

13 The fire shall always be burning on the altar. It must never go out.

14 “And this is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it in the presence of the LORD, before the altar. 15 And he shall take his handful from it, from the flour of the grain offering and from its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the grain offering, and shall burn it on the altar as a soothing aroma to the LORD, as its memorial offering. 16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It is to be eaten with bread, made without yeast, in a holy place. They shall eat it in the courtyard of the tabernacle of the congregation. 17 It shall not be baked with yeast. I have given it to them as their portion of my offerings made by fire. It is most holy, like the sin offering and like the trespass offering. 18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat it. It shall be a regulation forever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made with fire. Everyone who touches them shall be holy.”

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “If a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD, and lies to his neighbour about something deposited with him, or left in his care, or about a thing he robbed, or if he has deceived his neighbour, 3 or has found something that was lost and lies about it, and swears falsely, doing one of all the things a man does and sins in doing it, 4 then, because he has sinned and is guilty, it is required that he restore what he robbed, or the thing he has gotten deceitfully, or what was deposited with him, or the lost thing which he found, 5 or anything about which he swore falsely. He shall make restoration for it in full, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering. 6 And he shall bring to the priest his trespass offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish from the flock, its value set by you, as a trespass offering. 7 And the priest shall make atonement for him in the presence of the LORD, and of all he might have done, he will be forgiven for the one thing in which he was guilty.”

19 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 20 “This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they are to offer to the LORD on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening. 21 It is to be made with oil in a pan. And when it is baked, you shall bring it in and offer the baked pieces of the grain offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD. 22 And the priest among his sons who is anointed in his stead shall offer it. This is a permanent regulation. It is to be completely burned as an offering to the LORD. 23 For every grain offering of the priest shall be completely burned; it shall not be eaten.”

8 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: it, the burnt offering, is to be burning on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and put linen shorts next to his flesh, and take up the ashes of the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar, and shall put them beside the altar. 11 And he shall remove his garments, and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat of the peace offerings on it.

24 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: the sin offering is to be killed in the presence of the LORD in the place where the burnt offering is killed. It is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It is to be

6:2 All sin, no matter what human being it is against, is also against the Lord (Ps 51:4; Gen 20:6; 39:9; 2 Sam 12:13; Ps 41:4). 6:3 Ex 23:4; Deut 22:1-4. 6:4,5 Ex 22:1; Num 5:5-8; 2 Sam 12:6; Luke 19:8. Without restitution confession is vain. God demands that we make up for the wrong we have done. If we are not willing to do so we cannot expect God’s forgiveness. 6:6,7 The sins mentioned in the above verses could only be done intentionally, knowingly. Still there was forgiveness if the offender confessed, repented, and made restitution. 6:10 Ex 39:27,28; 28:39,42. 6:12 3:5. 6:15 2:2,9.

6:16 2:3; 10:12,13. 6:17 “Fire” – 2:11. “Holy” – vs 25,26,29,30. They were holy because they spoke of the Son of God, and consecrated by God. 6:18 “All. . .shall eat it” – compare 1 Cor 9:13,14. 6:20 Ex 29:1-9. “Tenth of an ephah” – probably about 2 dry liters. 6:21 2:5. 6:22,23 These offerings which the priests offered for themselves, unlike the ones the people offered, could not be eaten. They were for God alone. 6:25 1:11. 6:26 The knowledge that Christ died for our sins is satisfying spiritual food

143 LEVITICUS 7:14

eaten in a holy place in the courtyard of the tabernacle of the congregation. 27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is sprinkled on any garment, you shall wash what it was sprinkled on in a holy place. 28 And the earthenware vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken. If it has been boiled in a bronze pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water. 29 All the males among the priests shall eat it. It is most holy. 30 But no sin offering that has any of its blood brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to make atonement in the Holy Place shall be eaten. It shall be burned in the fire.

offering. 6 Every male among the priests shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.

7 “The trespass offering is like the sin offering; there is one law for them: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it. 8 And the priest who offers anyone’s burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he offers. 9 And all the grain offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is cooked on the griddle and in the pan, shall belong to the priest who offers it. 10 And every grain offering mixed with oil or dry, shall belong to all the sons of Aaron, to one as much as another.

11 “And this is the law of the sacrifice of the peace offerings, which he shall offer to the LORD.

“And this is the law of the trespass offering; it

is most holy: 2 They shall kill the trespass offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering; and he shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. 3 And he shall offer all of its fat from it, the fat tail, and the fat that covers the inner parts, 4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them which is by the flanks, and the lobe on the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 5 And the priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made with fire to the LORD. It is a trespass

12 “If he offers it for thanksgiving, then with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer cakes made without yeast, mixed with oil, and wafers without yeast, anointed with oil, and cakes of kneaded fine flour, mixed with oil. 13 Besides the cakes, with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings, he shall offer for his offering bread made without yeast. 14 And of this he shall offer one out of the whole offering as a lifted up offering to the LORD, and it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles

indeed – John 6:53-58. 6:30 One aspect of the sin offering was toward God alone. 7:1 5:14 – 6:7. 7:2 1:11. 7:3-5 3:3-5. 7:6 6:26. Note on “holy” at 20:7. 7:7 6:25-30. 7:8 The skin was to be kept by the priest. This signifies Christ’s righteousness given to the believer. See notes at Gen 3:21; 15:6; etc. 7:9,10 2:1-10. 7:11 3:1. 7:12,13 “Thanksgiving” – 22:29; Ps 7:17; 50:14,15; 56:12; 69:30; Eph 5:20; Phil 4:6; Col 2:7; 4:2; 1 Thess 5:18; Rev 7:12. This is the first reference to thanksgiving in the Bible. Of course this does not mean that believers had not been thankful to God before this time, only that the word had not been used. Notice that regulations concerning it are in connection with the peace offering. There can be no true thanksgiving apart from reconciliation and fellowship with God. But reasons for thanksgiving abound everywhere (Ps 106:1) and giving of thanks to God is an important part of man’s duty and privilege toward God. One reason for the corruption of mankind as a whole was their ingratitude (Rom 1:21). Believers are urged to give thanks for everything that comes to them (Eph 5:20; 1 Thess 5:18). It is one of the offerings we can now bring to God (Heb 13:15). Here in Leviticus the regulations regarding the thanksgiving offering are as follows:

Thanksgiving and giving to God and to others cannot be compelled; it must spring from the heart that delights in God’s goodness. Note and references on giving at 2 Cor 9:15.

Along with the thanksgiving offering cakes or wafers had to be brought, and they had to be without yeast, because the thanksgiving offering spoke of Christ the sinless one. It signifies Christ giving Himself for the praise and glory of God. Our thanksgiving to God should be full of Christ (not full of self as in Luke 18:11,12. See the way Paul gave thanks – Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 2:14; 9:15; Col 1:3,4; 2 Thess 2:13,14; 1 Tim 1:2; Phil 4:5. In v 13 the worshiper is instructed to bring also cakes made with yeast. These signify believers, for believers still have sin in them. Those who brought thanksgiving offerings which speak of Christ were to offer that which spoke of themselves also. True thanksgiving will mean that the believer gives himself to God. The instructions about the thanksgiving offerings come at the very end of instructions given about the five great offerings in Leviticus. It is as though God were saying “see what provision I am making for you to be forgiven and brought into my fellowship. Now be thankful and rejoice”. So it is in Rom 12:1,2. Paul had fully outlined the merciful acts of God in the first eleven chapters of Romans. Then he urged believers in view of those mercies in thanksgiving to present themselves as a sacrifice to God. 7:14 2:1; 3:3,4. On the ordinary level let us see that thanksgiving results in food for the priests who did the work of the

It was entirely voluntary – “if he offers”.

LEVITICUS 7:15 144

the blood of the peace offerings. 15 And the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast. He shall bring the breast so that it may be waved as a wave offering before the LORD.

16 “But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice, and the rest of it shall be eaten on the next day. 17 But on the third day the rest of the meat of the sacrifice shall be burned with fire. 18 And if any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is at all eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, or put into the account of the one who offers it. It shall be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it shall bear his guilt.

31 “And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall belong to Aaron and his sons. 32 And the right shoulder you shall give to the priest as a lifted up offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings. 33 Among the sons of Aaron, he who offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat, shall have the right shoulder as his portion. 34 For I have taken the wave breast and the lifted up shoulder from the children of Israel, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their due forever from the children of Israel.”

19 “And meat that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire. And as for other meat, everyone who is clean shall eat it. 20 But the person in his uncleanness who eats any of the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings that belong to the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people. 21 And the person who touches any unclean thing, such as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eats any of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the LORD, that soul shall be cut off from his people.”

35 This is the portion given at the anointing of Aaron, and the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made with fire, in the day when he presented them to serve the LORD as priests; 36 which the LORD commanded to be given to them by the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, a permanent regulation throughout their generations.

37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings, 38 which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to the LORD in the Sinai desert.

22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, You shall eat no kind of fat, from ox, or from sheep, or from goat. 24 And the fat of an animal that dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn by beasts, may be used for any other purpose, but you shall not eat it at all. 25 For whoever eats the fat of an animal which men offer as an offering made by fire to the LORD, the person who eats it shall be cut off from his people. 26 Moreover you shall eat no kind of blood, whether of bird or of animal, in any of your homes. 27 Any person who eats any kind of blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and an ox for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of bread made without yeast, 3 and gather all the congregation together at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” 4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

28 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 29 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring to the LORD his offering of the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 His own hands

5 And Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done.”

tabernacle. This is still the way God’s work should be accomplished and Christian workers supported. In thanksgiving to God we are to give to God’s work and workers. 7:15 22:29,30. 7:16-18 19:5-8. The third day may signify the resurrection of Christ (Matt 16:21; 27:64; Luke 24:7,21,46). The offering that signified the sacrifice of Christ was to be completed in all aspects before that day which signified His resurrection. 7:20,21 22:3-7; 19:13. In Leviticus “uncleanness” is a symbol of sin. Note at 11:1; 15:31.

This severe warning is similar to that given in 1 Cor 11:28-34. For other offenses connected with tabernacle worship that brought danger of death see note at Ex 28:35. 7:23-25 3:17; 17:15; 22:8. 7:26,27 Gen 9:4; Lev 17:10-16; 19:26; Deut 12:23; 1 Sam 14:33; Acts 15:20. 7:30 Ex 29:26,27; Lev 9:21; Num 6:20. 7:31 Num 18:11; Deut 18:3. 7:32 Ex 29:27; Lev 9:21; Num 6:20. 7:34-36 1 Cor 9:13,14. 7:38 1:1; 26:46; 27:34; Deut 4:5. 8:2 Ex 28:1-43; 30:22-25.

145 LEVITICUS 8:33

6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. 7 And he put on him the tunic, and tied the sash around him, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him, and tied on him the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod, and fastened the ephod to him with it. 8 And he put the breastplate on him, and he put the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate. 9 And he put the turban on his head, and on the front of the turban, he put the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

made by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

22 And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 And he killed it. And Moses took some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the large toe of his right foot. 24 And he brought Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the tip of their right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the large toes of their right feet. And Moses sprinkled the blood all around on the altar. 25 And he took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the inner parts, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder, 26 and from the basket of bread made without yeast that was before the LORD, he took one cake made without yeast, and a cake of bread with oil, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and on the right shoulder, 27 and he put all of this in Aaron’s hands, and in his sons’ hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands, and burned them on the altar on the burnt offering. They were ordination offerings, a soothing aroma. It was an offering made with fire to the LORD. 29 And Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the LORD; for this was Moses’ portion from the ordination ram, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

10 And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. 11 And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and both the laver and its base, to consecrate them. 12 And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, and anointed him to consecrate him. 13 And Moses brought Aaron’s sons and put tunics on them, and tied sashes around them, and put caps on them, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

14 And he brought the ox for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ox for the sin offering. 15 And he killed it. And Moses took the blood and with his finger put it all around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16 And he took all the fat that was on the inner parts, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it on the altar. 17 But the ox and its hide, its flesh, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

30 And Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons with him, and on his sons’ garments, and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons with him, and his sons’ garments.

18 And he brought the ram for the burnt offering; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 And he killed it. And Moses sprinkled the blood on the altar all around. 20 And he cut the ram into pieces. And Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat. 21 And he washed the inner parts and the legs in water. And Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt sacrifice for a soothing aroma, and an offering

31 And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the meat at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. 32 And you shall burn with fire what is left of the meat and of the bread. 33 And you shall not go out

8:6 Note at Ex 29:4. 8:7 Ex 28:4,6,40. 8:8 Ex 28:15,30. 8:9 Ex 28:36. 8:10 Ex 30:26-29. 8:11 Ex 30:28. 8:12 Ex 29:7. This oil signifies God’s Holy Spirit. Observe that the anointing oil was poured on Aaron the high priest before the sacrifices were slain, but that the ordinary priests received their anointing after the blood of the sacrifice was put on them (vs 24, 30). Also the oil was poured on Aaron, but only sprinkled on the ordinary priest.

Aaron as high priest signifies the Lord Jesus as High Priest. The Lord Jesus needed no sacrifice for Himself and He was anointed with the Holy Spirit before He gave himself as a sacrifice for others (Luke 3:21,22; 4:18). Also He had the Holy Spirit without measure – signified by pouring the oil on Aaron (John 3:34). The ordinary priests signify believers of this New Testament age who need to be cleansed through the blood of Christ before they are anointed by the Holy Spirit. 8:13-34 All this is in accordance with the instructions God gave Moses i n

LEVITICUS 8:34 146

of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation for seven days, until the days of your ordination are at an end; for he will take seven days to ordain you. 34 What he has done today is just as the LORD commanded to be done to make atonement for you. 35 Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you do not die; for so I am commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did everything which the LORD commanded through Moses.

the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. 9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar. 10 And on the altar he burned the fat, and the kidneys, and the lobe on the liver of the sin offering, just as the LORD commanded Moses. 11 And the flesh and the hide he burned with fire outside the camp.

12 And he killed the burnt offering. And Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him, which he sprinkled all around on the altar. 13 And they presented the burnt offering to him, with its pieces, and the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14 And he washed the inner parts and the legs, and burned them on the burnt offering on the altar.

And on the eighth day it came about that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel, 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take a young calf for yourself for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them in the presence of the LORD. 3 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, Take a young goat for yourself for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering, 4 also an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice in the presence of the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD will appear to you.”

15 And he brought the people’s offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and killed it, and offered it for sin, like the first.

16 And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the regulation. 17 And he brought the grain offering, and took a handful of it and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt sacrifice of the morning.

5 And they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. 6 And Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded you to do; and the glory of the LORD will appear to you.”

18 He also killed the ox and the ram as a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. And Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him, which he sprinkled all around on the altar. 19 And they presented the fat of the ox and of the ram, the fat tail and that which covers the inner parts, and the kidneys, and the lobe on the liver, 20 and they put the fat on the breasts. And he burned the fat on the altar. 21 And Aaron waved the breasts and the right shoulder as a wave offering before the LORD, just as Moses commanded.

7 And Moses said to Aaron, “Go to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, just as the LORD commanded.”

22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from

8 Therefore Aaron went to the altar, and killed

E x o d u s 2 9 : 8 - 3 5 . 8:35 Seven signifies a complete period of time. 9:2 “Sin offering” – 4:3; 9:7,8; Heb 5:1-3. In this respect Aaron is viewed not as a type of Christ but as what he was himself. He was a sinner like every other Israelite, like every other human being. His own sin had to be dealt with before he could minister for the people. 9:4 “The LORD will appear” – vs 23,24; Ex 29:43. 9:6 If we wish to see God’s glory we must trust Him and follow His instructions (John 11:40; 17:24). 9:11 4:11,12; 8:17; Heb 13:11,12. 9:15 4:27-31. 9:17 2:1-3. 9:18 3:1-11. 9:22,23 In these two remarkable verses we see that the revelation of God’s glory came at the offering of the sacrifice which

symbolized the Lord Jesus. In other words God’s glory is manifested at the cross of Jesus where He died for sinners. This wonderful event revealed the nature of God as no other event in history, and God’s nature is the foundation of His glory (Ex 33:18,19; 34:5:7). We see also that God’s blessing came to the people after the sacrifice had been offered. The cross of Christ is the source of all those blessings God promised to the world through the seed of Abraham (Gen 12:3; 22:18; for notes on blessing and blessed see also Num 6:22-26; Ps 1:1-3; etc).

Here in these verses in Leviticus the people were blessed two separate times. In v 22 after the sacrifices were offered Aaron blessed the people lifting up his hands. This picture was fulfilled by the Lord Jesus in Luke 24:50. After that, Aaron and Moses went inside the tabernacle, out of sight of the people. This was fulfilled by Christ in Luke

147 LEVITICUS 10:11

offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.

“Come near, carry your brothers away from the sanctuary, out of the camp.” 5 So they went near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, just as Moses said.

23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24 And a fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted and prostrated themselves.

6 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads, or tear your clothes, so that you do not die, and so that wrath does not come on all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, lament the burning which the LORD has kindled. 7 And you shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, so that you do not die; for the LORD’s anointing oil is on you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, both took their censers, and put fire in them, and put incense on them, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the LORD, and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘I will be sanctified among those who come near me, and in the presence of all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron kept silent.

8 And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 “Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation, so that you do not die. This shall be a regulation forever throughout your generations, 10 so that you may make a distinction between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, 11 and that you may teach the children of Israel all the regulations which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses.”

4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s uncle, and said to them,

24:51; Acts 1:9. When Moses and Aaron came back out they blessed the people again. At present the Lord Jesus is still in the true tabernacle in heaven. But He will come again as the perfect fulfillment of the law of Moses and its high priesthood to bring God’s blessings in full measure to His people (Rom 8:18-25; 1 Cor 15:51-54; Isa 11:19; Rev 19:11-22:5). Until God’s time comes He remains in heaven (Acts 3:19-21). 9:24 Aaron had already slain the sacrifices, shed their blood, and put them on the altar before He went inside the tabernacle. There was already fire on the altar consuming the sacrifices (vs 13, 14, 17). The blessing that came through the sacrifices had been given. But it was only after Aaron and Moses came back out from the tabernacle that God publicly revealed His full acceptance of the sacrifice. This signifies that at the second coming of Christ it will be fully revealed to all peoples that God has fully accepted the sacrifice of His Son. Then Phil 2:10,11 and similar verses will be fulfilled. And great joy will come to the people of God. 10:1,2 Judging from other verses in this chapter this event took place on the solemn day that Aaron and his sons began their ministry as described in chapter 9. The sin of Nadab and Abihu is not fully described. It is said only that they offered unauthorized fire in their censors. According to 16:12 the fire used in censors to burn incense came from off the brazen altar that stood in the court of the tabernacle (this signifies that true prayer and worship are to have their source in the cross, the sacrifice of Christ). No other fire, such as one a person would start for his own use, was permitted for the burning of incense. Nadab and Abihu

ignored this and offered their own fire.

Also the duty of burning incense ordinarily belonged to the high priest (Ex 30:7-9), and not to his sons. The incense spoke of the prayers of Christ (see Ex 30:6-9). Nadab and Abihu apparently without any instructions from anyone, on their own initiative, ignoring their father’s rights, offered incense. They paid the penalty for their rashness and arrogance. All this contains important lessons for all of us. Incense signifies prayer and worship (Ps 141:2; Rev 8:3).

God must be worshiped in the way He appoints, not according to what man thinks good (John 4:24; Heb 10:19-22). God is showing here how serious a sin false worship is. God’s holy anger is like a consuming fire against sin, including that sin (2 Thess 1:4-10; Heb 12:28,29; 2 Pet 2:1-3; Rev 20:15; Num 25:3). 10:3 This gives an explanation of the death of Nadab and Abihu. They had no regard for the holiness of God, the sacredness of His presence. They were not thinking of the proper way of approaching Him, nor of His honor. Aaron understood this and so uttered not a word. 10:6,7 All this happened on the day that Aaron and his sons were anointed and consecrated. At that time they had received a command not to leave the entrance of the tabernacle for seven days (8:34,35). They had their holy turbans on and must not remove them; they wore their holy priestly garments and must not put them off (8:6-10). 10:9-11 This instruction coming here suggests perhaps that Nadab and Abihu may have been drinking when they committed this sin. On drinking see Prov 20:1; 31:5;

LEVITICUS 10:12 148

12 And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the grain offering that remains from the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy. 13 And you shall eat it in the holy place, because it is your due, and your sons’ due, from the sacrifices of the LORD made with fire; for so I am commanded. 14 And you shall eat the wave breast and lifted up shoulder in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you; for they are your due, and your sons’ due. They are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. 15 They shall bring the lifted up shoulder and the wave breast with the offerings of fat made by fire, to wave it as a wave offering before the LORD, and it shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, by a permanent regulation, just as the LORD has commanded.”

blood was not brought inside the Holy Place. You should in fact have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.”

19 And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have happened to me. And if I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?” 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.

And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 3 You may eat whatever has a divided hoof or a cloven hoof and chews the cud among animals.

4 “But you shall not eat of these that chew the cud or of these that have a divided hoof: the camel, because it chews the cud, but does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you; 5 and the coney, because it chews the cud, but does not have the divided hoof; it is unclean for you; 6 and the rabbit, because it chews the cud, but does not have the divided hoof; it is unclean for you; 7 and the pig, though it has the divided hoof, the cloven

16 And Moses looked carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and found out that it had been burned. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the remaining sons of Aaron, and said, 17 “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it you to bear away the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 See, its

Isa 28:7; Ezek 44:21; Hos 4:11; Luke 1:15; Eph 5:18; 1 Tim 3:3; Titus 1:7. 10:12,13 6:14-18. 10:14,15 7:30-34; Num 18:11. 10:16-18 9:3,13; 6:24-30. 11:1 In Leviticus chapters 11-15 the key word is “unclean.” It occurs more than 100 times. To understand these chapters we must recognize that Leviticus is a book of symbols. In this book God is teaching spiritual truths by means of pictures. Here that which is called “unclean” is either sinful in itself or is a symbol of something that is defiling in the spiritual realm. For example, in the following verses the touch of an “unclean” animal cannot be sinful itself, but it may be a picture of something that makes the mind and spirit of man unclean. 11:2-23 Deut 14:3-21. It seems there are a number of reasons why God gave this prohibition against eating certain animals. For the most part at least the animals listed as “unclean” would not be as good for food as “clean” animals such as sheep and goats. Also God wanted the Hebrews kept as a distinct people from all other peoples on earth (Ex 19:5,6; Deut 7:6; 14:2). This was because He had chosen this nation as the channel for His revelation and for the Saviour who was to come. One way of keeping His people distinct was by ordering their diet. This was added to the Sabbath, circumcision, festivals and tabernacle worship – all designed to make and keep Israel a distinct people.

Also God was teaching His people by types and pictures to distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, spiritually healthy and unhealthy. They were to be on the lookout to avoid uncleanness of every kind. Perhaps also, as some scholars have suggested, God was teaching that man’s sins are like unclean creatures, like the crafty and secretive jackal, the filth-loving pig, the stubborn mule, the village dog that eats any unclean thing, the savage tiger and lion, the vulture that feeds on the dead and decaying, the owl which loves darkness, the slimy fish that lives at the bottom of foul streams, the dangerous snake with its venom, the innumerable creeping and crawling things of earth, the worm that lives in dead and rotting things. In this way, perhaps, sin is pictured in all that is disgusting, cruel, harmful, destructive, filthy and detestable. And indeed, sin is like that.

However, since the instructions in this chapter are concerning what God’s people may or may not eat, the primary symbolic meaning seems to be this: For the mental, spiritual food of God’s people there are things that are good and wholesome and other things that are unclean and unhealthy. The food for priests was the offerings of God’s people, all of which signified Christ (2:3; 6:26; 7:6-10,13,14,31-36). Those same sort of foods were also for God’s people as a whole (11:3). But there were many animals they must not eat, must not even touch their dead bodies. These

149 LEVITICUS 11:39

hoof, yet it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 You shall not eat their meat, and shall not touch their carcass. They are unclean for you.

26 “The carcass of any animal that has the divided hoof but not completely split hoof, and does not chew the cud, are unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. 27 And among all kinds of animals that walk on all fours, whatever walks on its paws are unclean for you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until evening. 28 And he who picks up their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.

9 “Of all that live in the waters you may eat these: You may eat whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers. 10 But all that do not have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, are to be an abomination to you. 11 Yes, they are to be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their meat, and you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination. 12 Whatever has no fins or scales in the waters is to be an abomination to you.

29 “And among the creeping things that creep on the ground these shall be unclean for you: the weasel, and the mouse, and every kind of the great lizard, 30 and the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole. 31 Among all the creeping things these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. 32 And if any of them when they are dead falls on anything, it shall be unclean, whether it is any article of wood or clothing or hide or sack; whatever article it may be with which any work is done, it must be put in water, and it shall be unclean until evening; then it becomes clean. 33 And whatever is in any earthenware pot in which any of them falls shall be unclean; and you shall break it. 34 Any food which could be eaten on which water comes from such a pot shall be unclean; and any liquid that could be drunk in any such pot shall be unclean. 35 And on whatever any part of their carcass falls, that shall be unclean, whether it is an oven or a stove. It shall be smashed, for they are unclean, and shall be unclean for you. 36 But a spring or a cistern where water collects shall be clean, though the one who touches their carcass shall be unclean. 37 And if any part of their carcass falls on any seed for sowing, it shall be clean. 38 But if any water has been put on the seed and any part of their carcass falls on it, it shall be unclean for you.

13 “And these are the ones among the birds which you shall regard as an abomination; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, 14 and the vulture, and any kind of kite, 15 every kind of raven, 16 and the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and every kind of hawk, 17 and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, 18 and the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, 19 and the stork, every kind of heron, and the lapwing, and the bat.

20 “All flying creatures that walk on all fours, shall be an abomination to you. 21 But among all the flying creatures that walk on all fours you may eat those that have legs above their feet with which to leap on the ground. 22 These are the ones among them that you may eat: every kind of locust, and every kind of bald locust, and every kind of cricket, and every kind of grasshopper. 23 But all other flying creatures which have four feet shall be an abomination to you.

24 “And by these you will be made unclean; whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until evening, 25 and whoever picks up one of their carcasses shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening.

39 “And if any animal which you may eat dies,

signify “foods” for the mind which are unwholesome and unclean.

regarded as unclean (Acts 10:9-16; 1 Cor 10:25,26; 1 Tim 4:3-5). This means they never were unclean in themselves, but that God was using them as symbols to teach spiritual lessons. Once the lessons intended by the symbols are taught, the laws regarding the symbols can be done away with. 11:24,25 Washing the clothes was the one way to get rid of this uncleanness. Water is a symbol of the Word of God. The use of the Word of God is God’s way of making and keeping us clean (Ps 119:9; John 15:3; Eph 5:25-27). It is the only remedy for ideas and imaginations which pollute the mind and heart. 11:26-38 Even the touch of the unclean must be avoided, and if contact is made cleansing is needed. Compare 2 Cor 6:17; 7:1; etc. 11:39 Even that which is good mental and

By food we should understand thoughts, teachings, ideas, and imaginations which we allow into our minds and hearts. The Bible is clear what sort of things these should be. See Ps 1:1,2; 119:11; Matt 16:6,12; Phil 4:8; Col 2:8; 3:16; Heb 5:11-14; 1 Pet 2:2,3. The world lies in evil and darkness (1 John 5:19). Its ideas, teachings, philosophies, and its own religious doctrines are unholy and destructive. If people do not feed on God’s Word, what they take into their minds and hearts may be as disgusting and ruinous as cockroaches, rats, scorpions, toads, maggots and vipers. For much that we find in the world is just like those things.

In the New Testament the unclean creatures listed in this chapter are no longer

LEVITICUS 11:40 150

he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening. 40 And he who eats its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening; and he who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening.

as in her separation; and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.

6 “And when the days of her purification are completed for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring as a sin offering a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a dove, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to the priest. 7 He shall offer it in the presence of the LORD and make atonement for her; and she shall become clean from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her who has given birth to a male or a female.

41 “And every creeping thing that creeps on the ground is to be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42 You shall not eat anything that moves on the belly, or anything that walks on all fours, or anything that has many feet among all the creeping things that creep on the ground; for they are an abomination. 43 You shall not make yourselves abominable by any creeping thing that creeps, or make yourselves unclean by them so that you become defiled by them. 44 For I am the LORD your God. Therefore you shall sanctify yourselves. And you shall be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that creeps on the ground. 45 For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. So you shall be holy, for I am holy.

8 “And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two doves, or two young pigeons, the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “When a man has a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot on the skin of his body, and it seems to be the mark of leprosy in the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests. 3 And the priest shall look at the mark in the skin of the body, and if the hair in the mark has turned white and the mark appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a mark of leprosy; and the priest shall look at him and pronounce him unclean. 4 If the bright spot is white in the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the mark for seven days. 5 And the priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if the mark in his sight appears to be unchanged, and the mark has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days. 6 And the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day, and if the mark is somewhat dark, and the mark has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab. And he shall

46 “This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters and every creature that creeps on the ground. 47 It is to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days; she shall be unclean, just as during the days of separation for her infirmity. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall then remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. 5 But if she gives birth to a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, just

spiritual food must be fresh and living. 11:44,45 19:2; 1 Pet 1:16; note at Lev 20:7. 11:47 10:10; 1 Kings 3:9; Ezek 22:26; 44:23; Heb 5:14. 12:2 15:19; 18:19. “Unclean” – in Hebrew the same word is used for “unclean” animals, “unclean” diseases, etc. See note at 11:1.

a sinful nature is transmitted from parents to children. This is the meaning of David’s words in Ps 51:5. He did not mean that his mother was an exceptionally sinful woman. Indeed she may have been, for all we know, a very righteous person. 12:8 Mary, the mother of Jesus, also offered a sin offering at His birth. This was not for Him but for herself. Jesus had no human father. He was born of a virgin by the power of God’s Holy Spirit and was perfectly sinless (Luke 1:34,35. Luke 2:2224 speaks of the offering of Mary and shows the poverty of the family). 13:1-44 “Mark” (v 2) – the Hebrew word here also means “spot”, “stroke” or “blow.”

“Infirmity” – this refers to a woman’s monthly period. 12:3 Gen 17:12; Luke 1:59; 2:21. 12:6 A sin offering was required at the birth of a child. Having a child is not sin. The teaching here is by symbol and picture. The teaching is that every woman who brings forth a child, and every child born in the natural course, is a sinner and needs the atonement. Since the fall of Adam and Eve

“Leprosy” – the Hebrew word comes from a verb which means “to strike.” The disease

151 LEVITICUS 13:34

wash his clothes and be clean. 7 But if the scab spreads further in the skin after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again; 8 and if the priest looks and sees that the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

24 “Or if the body has in its skin a burn from fire, and the raw flesh that was burned has a white bright spot, somewhat reddish or white, 25 then the priest shall look at it, and if it appears that the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and it appears to be deeper than the skin, it is leprosy, broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the mark of leprosy. 26 But if the priest looks at it, and no white hair appears to be in the bright spot, and it is no lower than the other skin, but is somewhat dark, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days. 27 And the priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if it is spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the mark of leprosy. 28 And if the bright spot is unchanged, and has not spread in the skin, but is somewhat dark, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is an inflammation from the burn.

9 “When the mark of leprosy is on a man, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10 And the priest shall look at him, and if the swelling is white in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him; for he is unclean.

12 “And if leprosy breaks out on the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the mark, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks, 13 then the priest shall look and if the leprosy appears to cover his whole body, he shall pronounce the one who has the mark clean; it has all turned white; he is clean. 14 But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 And the priest shall look at the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean, for the raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy. 16 But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, he shall come to the priest. 17 And the priest shall look at him, and if the plague appears to have turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the one who has the mark clean; he is clean.

29 “If a man or woman has a mark on the head or the beard, 30 then the priest shall look at the mark, and if he sees that it appears to be deeper than the skin, and there is yellow thin hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a scale, leprosy on the head or beard. 31 And if the priest looks at the mark of the scale, and sees that it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the mark of the scale for seven days. 32 And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the mark, and, if he sees that the scale has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not appear to be deeper than the skin, 33 he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the scale. And the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale for seven more days. 34 And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the scale, and if it appears that the scale has not spread in the skin, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean.

18 “And the body which has a boil in its skin that has healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a bright spot, white and somewhat reddish, it should be shown to the priest. 20 And when the priest sees it, if it appears to be lower than the skin, and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a mark of leprosy broken out of the boil. 21 But if the priest looks at it, and no white hairs appear in it, and if it is not lower than the skin, but is somewhat dark, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days. 22 And if it spreads over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a mark of leprosy. 23 But if the bright spot is unchanged and

the skin. The first signs of the disease were often small and seemingly insignificant. Usually there was a very gradual development of the disease, and it eventually resulted in something very offensive, ugly, and destructive. As far as we know there was no earthly cure – the Heavenly Physician was needed for that. And because of its defiling or infectious nature it was necessary to keep those who had it outside God’s camp (v 46). All this is true also of the rise and development of a sinful life in an individual.

was regarded by the people as a stroke from God, a punishment for sin, and sometimes it was (Num 12:10-15; 2 Kings 5:27). Some other versions have translated this word “infectious skin disease” or “malignant skin disease.” If we look at the symptoms of the disease recorded here in this chapter, it is evident that it is not the leprosy we know today. If the disease in these chapters was any sort of leprosy it certainly was of a different kind than the leprosy now known (which does not seem impossible). In any case the disease here described is a fitting one to signify sin.

In 12:19 we see that for the cleansing of a person healed from this disease both a trespass offering and sin offering were required. But we should not think it was a sin

Consider the following. It was a disease in the body or in the blood that broke out in

LEVITICUS 13:35 152

And he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 35 But if the scale spreads further in the skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest shall look at him, and if it appears that the scale has spread in the skin, the priest shall not look for yellow hair; he is unclean. 37 But if the scale appears to be unchanged, and black hair has grown in it, the scale is healed; he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

linen, or of wool, whether in a hide, or in anything made of hide, 49 and if the mark in the garment, or in the hide, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of hide, is greenish or reddish, it is a mark of leprosy, and shall be shown to the priest. 50 And the priest shall look at the mark, and isolate that which has the mark for seven days. 51 And he shall look at the mark on the seventh day. If the mark has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a hide, or in anything that is made of hide, the mark is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. 52 Therefore he shall burn that garment, whether warp or woof, on wool or on linen, or anything of hide, that has the mark; for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burned in the fire.

38 “And if a man or a woman has bright spots, white bright spots, in the skin of the body, 39 then the priest shall look, and if the bright spots appearing in the skin of the body are dull white, it is a rash broken out in the skin; he is clean.

40 “And the man who has lost his hair, though he is bald, he is clean. 41 And the one who has lost his hair from the part of his head toward his face, though he is bald on the forehead, he is clean. 42 But if there is on the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore, it is leprosy broken out on his bald head, or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall look at it, and if the swelling of the sore appears to be reddish white on his bald head, or on his bald forehead, like the leprosy that appears in the skin of the body, 44 he is a leprous man; he is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his mark is on his head.

53 “And if the priest looks, and it appears that the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything of hide, 54 then the priest shall command them to wash the thing that has the mark, and he shall isolate it for seven more days. 55 Then, after it has been washed, the priest shall look at the mark, and if it appears that the mark has not changed its colour, and the mark has not spread, it is unclean. You shall burn it in the fire. It is eaten away on the inside or on the outside. 56 And if the priest looks, and the mark appears to be somewhat darker after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, or out of the hide, or out of the warp, or out of the woof. 57 And if it still appears in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything of hide, it is a spreading mark. You shall burn that which has the mark in the fire. 58 And the garment, whether warp or woof, or whatever thing made of hide it may be which you wash, if the mark has gone from it, then it shall be washed the second

45 “And the leper who has the mark shall wear his clothes torn, and have his head uncovered, and shall put a covering on his upper lip, and shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean all the days in which the mark is on him; he is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

47 “And if a garment has the mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a woolen garment, or a linen garment, 48 whether it is in the warp or woof, of

to have this, or any other, disease. And the person afflicted with a dreadful disease is not more of a sinner than a person in perfect health. This is one lesson we can learn from the book of Job. But we all have the nature which is symbolized by the disease seen in these two chapters. That is, we are all sinners both by nature and by deeds (Rom 3:9,23; Luke 13:1-5).

13:45,46 Num 5:1-4; 12:10-14; Luke 17:11,12; Heb 13:12,13. The Lord Jesus suffered in the place of lepers outside the camp (note at 5:11,12). So great was His love for sinners. Outside the camp of God’s people is where sinners are and where they must remain unless they repent and trust in the Lord Jesus. 13:47-59 The same Hebrew word used for the disease that attacks persons is here use for that which attacks cloth and leather goods. No known kind of leprosy does this. It is not necessary for us to know exactly what this disease was. If this disease in the skin symbolizes sin in the nature breaking out in sinful acts, then sin in the clothing probably signifies defilement of one’s outward way of life. Garments signify the life we live before all (Rev 3:4; 16:15). The unclean garment was to be burned (v 52) or washed (v 58). Sin that defiles our outward walk must be judged in the fire of God’s holiness, and washed by the Word of God (John 13:10; 15:3; Eph 5:26; Isa 1:16,17; Jude 23).

But if the disease described in these chapters was not a direct result of sin why was it necessary to offer a trespass and a sin offering for it? Remember that those offerings signify the Lord Jesus Christ dying in the place of sinners, and for their sins (notes at 4:3,11,12; 5:15,16). Since the sacrifices offered for the disease are symbolic, then the disease for which the sacrifices were offered is also symbolic.

Here is a safe rule to follow in all the five books of the law of Moses. That which required a sin offering was either sinful in itself, or else, not being sinful in itself, it symbolized sin, was a picture of sin in some way.

153 LEVITICUS 14:19

time, and shall be clean.

male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, and one log of oil. 11 And the priest who pronounces him clean shall present the man who is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

59 “This is the law about the mark of leprosy in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or anything made of hides, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “This is the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought for the priest to see ; 3 and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look, and if he sees that the mark of leprosy is healed in the leper, 4 then the priest shall command that two live clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet and hyssop be brought for the one who is to be cleansed. 5 And the priest shall give a command to kill one of the birds in an earthenware pot over running water. 6 As for the live bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, the scarlet and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. 7 And seven times he shall sprinkle the one who is to be cleansed from leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird go free in the open field.

12 “And the priest shall take one male lamb and offer it as a trespass offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. 13 And he shall kill the lamb in the place where he kills the sin offering and the burnt offering, in that holy place; for as the sin offering belongs to the priest, so does the trespass offering; it is most holy. 14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of the one who is being cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the large toe of his right foot. 15 And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand; 16 and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD, 17 and of the rest of the oil that is in his hand the priest shall put on the tip of the right ear of the one who is being cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the large toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass offering. 18 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall pour on the head of the one who is being cleansed; and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD.

8 “And the one who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, so that he may be clean. And after that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay out of his tent for seven days. 9 But it must come about on the seventh day that he shave off all the hair of his head and his beard and his eyebrows; he shall shave off all his hair; and he shall wash his clothes, and shall wash his body in water; and he shall be clean.

19 “And the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one who is being

10 “And on the eighth day he shall take two

14:2 Matt 8:4; Luke 5:14; 17:14. 14:3 13:46. Healing of this disease was possible. Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that men could heal it, so we assume that healing came from God. We know that man’s sinful nature cannot in any way be healed by man. Compare Jer 13:23; etc. 14:4-7 This ritual was not for healing but for the cleansing of the person diseased. In the cleansing of the sinner before God both the death and resurrection of Christ have their part (see Rom 4:25). Both are at the very heart of the gospel which saves and sanctifies us (1 Cor 15:3,4,17). Both the death and resurrection of Christ could not be signified by one bird – unless God chose to miraculously give it new life each time it was sacrificed, and He did not. So in the cleansing of the diseased person God appointed this way of two birds – one to be sacrificed, the other to be released after being dipped in the blood of the first, thus identifying the second with the first.

sanctification (Ex 12:22; Num 19:18; Ps 51:7; Heb 9:19). The earthenware vessel and running water may possibly signify Christ’s human nature and the Holy Spirit (human nature is sometimes likened to earthen vessels – Rom 9:21-23; 2 Cor 4:7. The Holy Spirit is symbolized by water in John 7:38,39). 14:8 The person to be declared clean had his part in the process. So does the believer now in the process of sanctification (Isa 1:16; Rom 6:11-13; 2 Cor 7:1; Gal 5:16; Eph 4:22-32; Col 3:1-10; 1 John 1:9). 14:10 “Three-tenths of an ephah” – probably about 6:5 liters.

“One log” – probably about 1/3 of a liter. 14:12 5:6,16; 6:6; Ex 29:22-24,26. 14:14 Ex 29:20; Lev 8:23,24. Signifying the total person. 14:15-18 The oil signifies God’s Holy Spirit. In God’s work of sanctification both the blood of Christ and the Spirit of God are necessary – 2 Thess 2:13; Heb 9:13,14; 10:10; 1 Pet 1:2. 14:19 Note on 13:1-44.

Hyssop used in this ritual (v 6) was a small plant that grew in that area and is in the Bible associated with cleansing and

LEVITICUS 14:20 154

cleansed from his uncleanness. And afterwards he shall kill the burnt offering. 20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

Canaan, which I give to you as a possession, and I put the mark of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession, 35 and he who owns the house comes and tells the priest, saying, ‘It seems to me there may be a mark in the house’, 36 then the priest shall command them to vacate the house, before the priest goes into it to see the mark, so that everything that is in the house is not made unclean. And afterwards the priest shall go in to see the house. 37 And he shall look at the mark, and, if the mark appearing in the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions, which appear lower than the wall, 38 then the priest shall leave the house by the door of the house, and close up the house for seven days. 39 And on the seventh day the priest shall come again and look, and if he sees that the mark has spread in the walls of the house, 40 then the priest shall command them to take away the stones where the mark is, and they shall throw them in an unclean place outside the city. 41 And he shall have the house scraped all around inside, and they shall pour the dust that they scrape off outside the city in an unclean place. 42 And they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones. And he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house.

21 “And if he is poor, and cannot get so much, then he shall take one lamb as a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, 22 and two doves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.

23 “And on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. 25 And he shall kill the lamb for the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it on the tip of the right ear of the one who is being cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the large toe of his right foot. 26 And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand; 27 and with his right finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD. 28 And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of the one who is being cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the large toe of his right foot, on the place where the blood of the trespass offering was put. 29 And the priest shall put the rest of the oil that is in his hand on the head of the one who is being cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. 30 And he shall offer one of the doves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get, 31 the one as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering, such as he is able to get, with the grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement for the one who is being cleansed before the LORD. 32 This is the law of the one who has the mark of leprosy, who is not able to get what belongs to his cleansing.”

43 “And if the mark comes again and breaks out in the house after he has taken away the stones, and after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered, 44 then the priest shall come and look, and if he sees that the mark has spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house; it is unclean. 45 And he shall tear down the house, its stones and its timber, and all the mortar of the house, and carry them out of the city to an unclean place.

46 “Moreover, anyone who goes into the house all the time that it is closed off shall be unclean until evening. 47 And anyone who lies down in the house shall wash his clothes, and anyone who eats in the house shall wash his clothes.

48 “But after the house has been plastered, if the priest comes in and looks at it, and sees that the mark has not spread in the house, after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the mark is healed. 49 And for cleansing the house he shall

33 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 34 “When you have come into the land of

14:20 Notes on atonement at Ex 25:17 and 29:33. 14:21,22 5:11; 12:8; 27:8. “Tenth of an ephah” – probably about 2 liters. 14:34 “Mark of leprosy” – in Hebrew the same words as in 13:2. See note there. Here it cannot mean leprosy as we know it today. This plague in the walls of a house signifies sin and uncleanness, not in our nature, or conduct, but in our homes, our

close surrounding, our relationships. Everything that was incurably infected had to be destroyed. If it could be washed and saved it was to be done. The believer must be careful who he has fellowship with, and alert as to how his surroundings and relationship can affect him (compare Gen 19:1 – note on Lot in Sodom; 1 Kings 11:4; 2 Chron 18:1; Matt 10:34-38; 1 Cor 15:33; 2 Cor 6:14-18). 14:49-53 14:4-7.

155 LEVITICUS 15:27

take two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop, 50 and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware pot over running water, 51 and he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times, 52 and cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the live bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet. 53 But he shall let the live bird go free outside the city in the open fields, and make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean.

himself in water, and be unclean until evening.

12 “And the earthenware pot that the one who has the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden utensil shall be rinsed in water.

13 “And when he who has a discharge is cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count seven days for himself for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean. 14 And on the eighth day he shall take for himself two doves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them to the priest. 15 And the priest shall offer them, one as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him, for his discharge, in the presence of the LORD.

54 “This is the law for all kinds of the mark of leprosy, and scale, 55 and for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house, 56 and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot. 57 It is to teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean. This is the law of leprosy.”

16 “And if any man has a seminal emission, then he shall wash his whole body in water, and be unclean until evening. 17 And every garment, and every hide, that the seminal emission was on shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. 18 Also if a woman lies with a man and there is a seminal emission, both of them shall bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until evening.

And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, he is unclean because of his discharge. 3 And this is his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his discharge flows from his body or his discharge from his body has stopped, it is his uncleanness.

19 “And if a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.

4 “Every bed that the one who has the discharge lies on is unclean, and everything he sits on is unclean. 5 And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. 6 And he who sits on anything that he who has the discharge sat on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.

20 “And everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean, also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 And whoever touches any thing that she sat on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 And if it is on her bed, or on anything she sits on when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening.

7 “And he who touches the body of the one who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.

24 “And if any man at all lies with her and her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean for seven days, and the whole bed he lies on shall be unclean.

8 “And if he who has the discharge spits on someone who is clean, then that person shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.

25 “And if a woman have a discharge of her blood many days not at the time of her impurity, or if it runs beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be like the days of her impurity; she shall be unclean. 26 Every bed she lies on during the whole time of her discharge shall be to her like the bed of her impurity, and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, like the uncleanness of her impurity. 27 And whoever touches those things shall be unclean,

9 “And any saddle the one who has the discharge rides on shall be unclean. 10 And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening, and he who picks up any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.

11 “And whomever the one who has the discharge touches, when he has not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe

15:2 Note at 11:1. 15:2-13 In these verses sin is depicted as something that flows from within a person, sometimes unconsciously, secretly (see Matt 15:19,20). This kind of sin also must be

recognized, confessed, cleansed and atoned for. 15:14,15 14:22. Note on 13:1-44. 15:16-18 22:4-7; Deut 23:10,11. 15:19-28 Note on vs 2-13.

LEVITICUS 15:28 156

and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening.

2 and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell your brother Aaron that he must not come at all times into the Most Holy Place inside the veil that is in front of the mercy seat which is on the ark, so that he does not die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.

28 “But if she becomes clean from her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two doves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 30 And the priest shall offer one as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for the discharge of her uncleanness.

3 “Aaron must come into the Most Holy Place like this: with a young ox for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic and have the linen breeches on his body and fasten on the linen sash, and put on the linen turban. These are holy garments; therefore he shall wash his body in water, and then put them on. 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two young goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

31 “Thus shall you separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so that they do not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. 32 This is the law of the one who has a discharge, and of the one who has a seminal emission and is defiled with it, 33 and of her who is ill with her menstrual impurity, and of the one who has a discharge, man or woman, and of the one who lies with her who is unclean.”

6 “And Aaron shall offer his ox for the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his household. 7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot fell to

And the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, and died;

death see the note at Ex 28:35. Now Jesus has opened a new and living way through the sacrifice of Himself so that His people can come to God at any time (Heb 10:1922; 1 Pet 3:18). “Let us draw near into the very presence of God in the Most Holy Place” was never spoken to ordinary Israelites. This was because the way was not yet made clear. Even the ordinary priests could not enter the Most Holy Place where God’s presence was. And the Israelite who was not a priest never once saw the inside of the tabernacle. He could come only to the gate of the courtyard (see note at Ex 27:9-19). All this has great significance. The old covenant, its tabernacle and sacrifices were only shadows of good things to come and not the good things themselves (Heb 8:5; 10:1). 16:3 “Sin offering” – 4:1-12; Heb 9:7. “Burnt offering” – 1:10-13. 16:4 Ex 28:29,42; 30:20; Heb 10:22. 16:5 4:13-21. 16:6 Heb 5:3. 16:7-10 Both of these goats signify Christ. The one offered as a sin offering signifies Christ dying for sinners in their place (4:3). The goat (“scapegoat”, in Hebrew “azazel”, the goat of removal) let loose in the wilderness signifies Christ in the sinner’s place bearing sin away to an unknown place (John 1:29). The Lord Jesus Christ is the only sin-bearer God has appointed for men. Two goats were required to express two aspects of His work for sinners (compare 14:4-7). All the sins of the people of Israel were confessed over the head of the live goat, after which it went to a “solitary land” (vs 21,22).

15:29,30 Note on 13:1-44. 15:31 Compare 20:3; Ex 25:8; Num 19:13,20; Ezek 5:11; 36:17. In chapters 11-15 sin and sinful acts and thoughts are depicted as unclean animals, as being related to our birth, as a dangerous and ugly disease, as a defiler and destroyer of our behavior, possessions and home, and as a discharge from the body. The pictures combined reveal the total corruption of man’s nature, the depravity that stains and defiles all he is and does (Gen 6:5; Eccl 9:3; Isa 64:6; Jer 17:9; Rom 7:18). Now in chapter 16 we turn to a picture of the eternal remedy for man’s sin and depravity. The Lord Jesus Christ by the sacrifice of Himself has put away everything that can trouble and ruin believers, and has made for them a heaven without any unclean thing, or sickness or tears or anything that could ever defile them again. Rev 21:2-4,27. 16:1 This is one of the key chapters in the books of Moses, and it describes one of the most important days in the Jewish year. For an understanding of the symbolic meanings here we should study Hebrews 5:1-5; 7:1828; 8:1-6; 9:1-10,22. “Sons of Aaron” – Lev 10:1-3. There is a reminder at the beginning of this chapter that God must be approached only in God’s way. 16:2 “Not. . .at all times” – Ex 30:10; Heb 9:7,25. “Die” – Ex 28:43; 30:20,21; Lev 8:35. The fiery holiness of God acted as a barrier to the approach of sinful man into His presence. For other offenses connected with tabernacle worship that brought danger and

The Lord Jesus bore our sins on the cross

157 LEVITICUS 16:29

be the scapegoat, is to be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement by it, and to let it go as a scapegoat into the wilderness.

it and sanctify it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

20 “And when he has finished atoning for the Most Holy Place and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the evil deeds of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is ready. 22 And the goat will carry away on it all their sins to a solitary land. And he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

11 “And Aaron shall bring the ox of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself, and for his household, and shall kill the ox of the sin offering which is for himself. 12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of fragrant incense beaten small, and bring it inside the veil, 13 and he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, so that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony, so that he does not die. 14 And he shall take some of the blood of the ox, and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern side of the mercy seat, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger in front of the mercy seat.

23 “And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation and put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Most Holy Place, and shall leave them there. 24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in a holy place, and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself, and for the people. 25 And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.

15 “Then he shall kill the goat for the sin offering that is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the ox, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and in front of the mercy seat, 16 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. And he shall do the same for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remains with them among their uncleanness. 17 And no one is to be in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household and for all the congregation of Israel.

26 “And the one who released the goat chosen as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterwards come into the camp. 27 And someone shall take outside the camp the ox for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement. And they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their dung in the fire. 28 And the one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterwards come into the camp.

18 “And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and take some of the blood of the ox, and of the blood of the goat, and put it all around on the horns of the altar. 19 And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times with his finger and cleanse

29 “And this shall be a permanent regulation for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble yourselves, and not do any work at all, whether native-born or a

(1 Pet 2:24) – a wilderness, a solitary place indeed (Matt 27:45,46)! He departed into the realm of death. Unlike this live goat which appeared no more, the Lord Jesus appeared again on the third day, but He was without those sins He had carried away. He left them in that wilderness where He went. He has separated the believer’s sins from him as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12), buried them in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). At His resurrection the Lord Jesus appeared to only a few of His disciples. The day is coming when He will appear to all of them (Heb 9:28). 16:12 Ex 30:34-38. 16:13 Ex 25:21. 16:14 Heb 9:25. 16:15 Heb 7:27; 9:7,12. 16:16-20 Ex 29:36,37; 30:10; Heb 2:17; 9:23. The tabernacle, even the Most Holy Place, as we can see from this, was defiled

by the presence of the Israelites around it and by the priests who served in it, all of whom were sinners. This defilement had to be removed by sacrifice. Note on atonement at Ex 29:33. 16:17 Aaron, the high priest of Israel, had to perform this work of atonement by himself all alone. No one could help him, no one was even to be there inside with him. So the Lord Jesus alone made atonement for all His people. 16:21,22 The sins of God’s people are gone, never to appear again. 16:27 Note at 4:11,12. 16:29-31 The Hebrew translated “humble yourselves” means “to suffer, be afflicted, depressed, oppressed, humbled.” The word may have been used to indicate fasting also. It was so important for Israelites to humble themselves on the day of atonement that an individual who did not was to be cut off

LEVITICUS 16:30 158

foreigner who is staying among you; 30 for on that day the priest will make atonement for you to cleanse you, so that you may be clean from all your sins in the presence of the LORD. 31 It shall be a Sabbath of rest for you, and by a permanent regulation you shall humble yourselves. 32 And the priest who is anointed and who is consecrated to serve as priest in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement. And he shall put on the linen clothes, the holy garments, 33 and he shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and make atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and make atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.

shall have blood imputed to him; that man has shed blood shall be cut off from among his people, 5 so that the children of Israel will bring their sacrifices which they are sacrificing in the open field; that they may bring them to the LORD to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to the priest, and offer them as peace offerings to the LORD. 6 And the priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat as a fragrant aroma to the LORD. 7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons to whom they have prostituted themselves. This shall be a permanent regulation for them throughout their generations.

34 “And this shall be an everlasting regulation for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.”

8 “And you shall say to them, Anyone of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners who live among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from among his people.

And Moses did just as the LORD commanded him.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them; this is what the LORD has commanded, saying, 3 anyone of the house of Israel who kills an ox, or lamb, or goat in the camp, or who kills it out of the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer as an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, that man

10 “And as for anyone of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners who live among you, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. 12 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, None of you shall

at the tabernacle, and later at the temple in Jerusalem. Both tabernacle and temple signify Christ. Now there is one and only one place where God accepts man’s offerings and that is in Christ (Heb 13:15,16; John 14:6). Verses 8 and 9 below show how serious a matter God’s instruction here was. For other offenses against tabernacle worship that brought danger of death see note at Ex 28:35. 17:7 “Demons” – this is the first reference to demons in the Bible. They are referred to rarely in the Old Testament, but frequently in the New Testament. They are called the devil’s angels (Matt 25:41), and Satan is called the prince of demons (Matt 12:24-28). Demons are invisible fallen, wicked spirit beings who can enter the bodies of people and even animals (Mark 5:2,813). They can cause sickness or disabilities or madness (Matt 9:32,33; 17:14-18; Mark 5:2-5; Luke 13:10,16). They are behind false teaching (1 Tim 4:1). They are probably fallen angels who took Satan’s part when he sinned and fell. Satan and his demons want to be worshiped (Matt 4:8,9). According to the Bible they receive this worship through the worship of false gods and idols. See Deut 32:17; Ps 106:37; 1 Cor 10:20. “Prostituted themselves” – 20:5; Ex 34:15; Jer 2:20. 17:10,11 3:17; 7:26,27; Gen 9:4; Deut

(see 23:28-30). It was a Sabbath when no work was to be done. A Sabbath of fasting, mourning, and affliction and humbling oneself. This speaks to us now of ceasing from our own works for salvation. Also of repentance, and trusting in the atonement Christ made. When there is no repentance and faith there will be no benefit from Christ’s atonement. God commands men to repent (Luke 24:46,47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 26:20; Jam 4:8-10; Isa 55:7). Through repentance and faith will come joy, peace, and fellowship with God. For further suggestions as to the meaning of these verses see the note at 23:26-32. 16:30 Notice the word “all.” This means sins done either knowingly or unknowingly. Compare Acts 13:38,39; Col 2:13; 1 John 1:9. 16:34 Heb 9:7; 10:10,14. 17:1 From the beginning of this chapter to the end of chapter 22 instructions are given concerning the holy life style the people of Israel were to adopt. It is significant that this comes immediately after chapter 16 with its day of atonement. God is saying, first see the grace of God shown in atonement and forgiveness, then live a holy life (compare Rom 6:1-14; 2 Cor 5:15; Eph 4:2024; Col 3:1-11; Heb 10:19-23; 1 Pet 2:24,25). 17:3-6 From this point on there was only one acceptable place for sacrifice. That was

159 LEVITICUS 18:23

eat blood, nor shall any foreigner who lives among you eat blood.

10 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter; do not uncover their nakedness; for their nakedness is your own nakedness.

13 “And anyone of the children of Israel, or of the foreigners who live among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dirt. 14 For it is the life of all flesh; its blood is as its life; therefore I said to the children of Israel, You shall not eat the blood with any kind of meat; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.

11 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of your father; she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

12 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative.

13 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s close relative.

15 “And every person, whether native-born or a foreigner, who eats that which has died, or which was torn by beasts, shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until evening; then he shall be clean. 16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”

14 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother; you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.

15 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am the LORD your God. 3 You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, and you shall not do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am taking you, and you shall not behave according to their rules. 4 You shall obey my laws and observe my regulations to walk in them; I am the LORD your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my regulations, and my laws; if a man obeys them he will live through them; I am the LORD.

16 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.

17 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shall you take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her close relatives; it is wickedness.

18 “And you shall not marry a woman and her sister as a rival, while the other woman is still living, to uncover her nakedness.

19 “Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her period of impurity.

6 “None of you shall approach any of his blood relatives to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD.

20 “And you shall not have intercourse with your neighbour’s wife, to defile yourself with her.

7 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, or the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.

21 “And you shall not let any of your offspring pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

8 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.

22 “You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.

9 “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or daughter of your mother, whether she be born at home, or born outside; do not uncover their nakedness.

23 “And you shall not have intercourse with any animal to defile yourself with it; nor shall any woman stand before an animal to have intercourse with it; 12:16,23-25. Life is in the blood. This is why the blood of sacrifice makes atonement – it is life poured out by a substitute. 17:15,16 11:24,25. 18:3 “Egypt” – Ezek 20:7,8. “Canaan” – Lev 18:24-30; 20:23. 18:5 Neh 9:29; Ezek 18:9; 20:11; Luke 10:28; Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12. This was the basis of the law and the old covenant. The problem was that because of the sinfulness of man’s nature no one ever kept perfectly the law of God (except the Lord Jesus who had no sinful nature). See Rom 3:9-12,23, and the note at Ex 19:8. But it was certainly possible for the Israelites to avoid the detestable sins and idolatries of the Egyptians and Canaanites. 18:6-18 All sexual contact and marriage

between members of the same family were forbidden. 18:20 Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10; Prov 6:29; Matt 5:27,28; 1 Cor 6:9; Heb 13:4. 18:21 “Pass through the fire” – this is probably an expression meaning simply “be sacrificed in the fire.”

“Molech” – this was one of the gods of the Ammonites, a people who lived near Canaan to the east. His devotees sometimes actually burned their children in the fire to him. Any Israelite doing such a thing must be put to death (20:2-5). In spite of this warning king Solomon later built a high place for Molech (1 Kings 11:6-8). 18:22 20:13; Deut 23:18; Rom 1:27; 1 Cor 6:9. Note at Gen 19:4,5. 18:23 Ex 22:19; Lev 20:15,16; Deut 27:21.

LEVITICUS 18:24 160

it is perversion.

be accepted. 8 Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his guilt, because he has profaned a thing consecrated to the LORD, and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

24 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the nations which I will drive out before you were defiled by all these things. 25 And the land is defiled; therefore I will punish it for its wickedness, and the land itself vomits out its inhabitants. 26 You shall therefore keep my regulations and my laws, and shall not commit any of these abominations; not any of your own nation, or any foreigner who lives among you 27 (for the men of the land who were there before you have done all these abominations, and the land is defiled), 28 so that the land does not also vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

9 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not fully reap the corners of your field, and you shall not gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not go over your vineyard a second time, nor gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and foreigner; I am the LORD your God.

11 “You shall not steal, or cheat, or lie to one another.

12 “And you shall not swear falsely by my name, nor profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

29 “For anyone who commits any of these abominations, those persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Therefore you shall keep my charge so that you do not follow any of these abominable customs which were followed before you, and so that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.”

13 “You shall not defraud your neighbour, or rob him ; the wages of a hired person are not to remain with you all night until the morning.

14 “You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shall fear your God; I am the LORD.

15 “You shall not pervert justice. You shall not be partial to the poor, or honour the person of the great; but shall judge your neighbor righteously.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy.

16 “You shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people; and you shall not take a stand against the life of your neighbour; I am the LORD.

3 “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall by all means rebuke your neighbour, and not share in his guilt.

4 “Do not turn to idols, or make cast metal gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.

18 “You shall not take vengeance, or hold any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbour as yourself; I am the LORD.

5 “And if you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it for your acceptance. 6 It must be eaten the same day you offer it and on the next day; if any of it remains until the third day, it must be burned in the fire. 7 For if any of it is eaten on the third day, it is offensive. It shall not

19 “You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let two different kinds of your livestock mate together. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed, nor

18:24,25 20:23; Deut 9:5; 18:11; Rom 1:18; Col 3:6. At last the practices of the nations in Canaan had become so detestable that God’s wrath fell on them. Note at Gen 6:7. God determined to drive them out and give their land to His people Israel. In all this we may be absolutely sure of this truth – there is no punishment which God sends on any individual or any group or people or nation which is undeserved. Only when the sins of men reach such a stage that God must judge and punish them does He do so. 18:30 22:9; Deut 11:1. 19:2 Ex 19:6; Lev 11:44; 20:7,26; Isa 6:3; 1 Pet 1:16. Note at 20:7. 19:3 Ex 20:8,12; 31:13; Deut 5:16. 19:4 Ex 20:4; Lev 20:23; 26:1; Ps 96:5; 115:4-7. What need had they of any gods or idols? They had the Lord God, the loving creator of the universe. 19:5-8 7:15-18.

19:9,10 23:22; Deut 24:20-22. See God’s concern for the poor and needy, and the duty of God’s people to help them. 19:11 Ex 20:15,16; Jer 9:3-5; Eph 4:25. 19:12 Ex 20:7; Deut 5:11; Matt 5:33. 19:13 Ex 22:7-15,21-27. 19:14 Notes on fear of God at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 1:7. 19:15 Ex 23:3,6; Deut 1:17; 10:17; 16:19. 19:16 Ps 15:3; Jer 6:28; 9:4; Ezek 22:9. 19:17 1 John 2:9,11; 3:15. 19:18 “Vengeance” – Deut 32:35; Rom 12:19; Heb 10:30. Note at Ex 21:23-25; Num 31:2.

“Love your neighbour as yourself” – one of the two greatest commands in the whole law. It sums up all of a person’s duties toward others (Matt 19:19; Mark 12:31; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14; Jam 2:8). “Neighbour” means any fellow human being regardless of race, color, caste, social or financial positon or any other condition which tends

161 LEVITICUS 20:7

wear a garment of two different kinds of material.

head, and honour the presence of the aged, and fear your God; I am the LORD.

20 “And whoever has intercourse with a woman who is a slave betrothed to another man, and she is not redeemed or given her freedom, there shall be punishment, but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 And he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, a ram for a trespass offering. 22 And the priest shall make atonement for him in the presence of the LORD, with the ram of the trespass offering for his sin which he has committed; and the sin which he has committed will be forgiven him.

33 “And if a foreigner is staying with you in your land, you shall not oppress him. 34 The foreigner who lives with you shall be to you like one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

35 “You shall not pervert justice in measuring length, or weight, or quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

23 “And after you enter the land, and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised; it shall be as uncircumcised to you for three years; it shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all their fruit shall be holy to praise the LORD with. 25 And in the fifth year you may eat of their fruit, so that it may yield their increase for you; I am the LORD your God.

37 “Therefore you shall observe all my regulations and all my laws to do them; I am the LORD.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Again, you shall say to the children of Israel, Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the foreigners who are staying in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he has given one of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land close their eyes concerning that man when he gives one of his offspring to Molech, and do not kill him, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off from among their people, and all who follow him to prostitute themselves to Molech.

26 “You shall not eat anything with the blood. And you shall not use divination, or sorcery.

27 “You shall not round off the hair at the sides of your heads, nor trim the corners of your beard.

28 “You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead, or make any tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

29 “Do not degrade your daughter to make her a prostitute, or the land will fall into prostitution, and the land will become full of wickedness.

30 “You shall keep my Sabbaths, and show reverence for my sanctuary; I am the LORD.

6 “And I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to prostitute themselves in following them, and will cut him off from among his people.

31 “Do not turn to mediums, or seek out spiritists, or you will be defiled by them; I am the LORD your God.

32 “You shall rise in the presence of the gray

7 “Therefore sanctify yourselves and be holy,

19:33,34 Ex 22:21; Lev 19:18; Deut 24:17,18; Matt 7:12. 19:35,36 Deut 25:13-16; Prov 20:10; Ezek 45:10. An ephah was a dry measure, a hin was a liquid measure. 20:2-3 “Gives” – or “sacrifices.” “Molech” – note at 18:21. 20:5 “Prostitute themselves” – the people of God going after idols and false gods or things of this evil world is frequently compared in the Bible to prostitution and adultery (Isa 1:21; Jer 2:20; 3:1,6,8,9; 13:27; Ezek 16:17,28; 23:5,8,19; Hos 2:5; 4:15; 5:3,4; Jam 4:4; Rev 17:5; 18:3). Being unfaithful to God in spiritual matters is like a woman’s unfaithfulness to her husband. By making this comparison God shows what an evil thing it is. 20:6 19:31. 20:7 The word “holy” comes from a Hebrew word which means separated or set apart. In the Bible God and certain persons, places,

to divide people. See Luke 10:29-37. 19:20 Deut 22:23-27. 19:21 6:1-7. 19:26 “Blood” – 17:10. “Divination” – v 31; 20:6,27; Deut 18:10,11; 1 Sam 28:3; 2 Kings 17:17; Isa 8:19. Dealing with sorcerers, mediums and fortune tellers brings a person under the influence of demons and of Satan. Such people do not know God or the future or anything else that men need to find out (though they may occasionally make predictions that later prove to be accurate, those predictions will not be helpful to anyone, and more often than not their predictions are not at all fulfilled). God tells us in His word what we need to know about what we should be and do, and also about the future. 19:29 21:9; Deut 22:21; 23:17,18. 19:30 19:3; 26:2. 19:31 Note at Ex 22:18. 19:32 Prov 23:22; Lam 5:12; 1 Tim 5:1.

LEVITICUS 20:8 162

for I am the LORD your God. 8 And you shall keep my statutes, and obey them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He will bear his guilt.

18 “And if a man lies with a woman in her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow, and she has laid bare the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

9 “Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother; his blood will be on his own head.

10 “And the man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, both the adulterer who commits adultery with his neighbour’s wife and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

19 “And you shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, or of your father’s sister, for such a one has uncovered his close relative. They will bear their guilt.

11 “And the man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood will be on their own heads.

20 “And if a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They will bear their sin; they will die childless.

21 “And if a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.

12 “And if a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have worked perversion. Their blood will be on their own heads.

22 “Therefore you shall keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them, so that the land where I am taking you to live does not vomit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the ways of the nation which I will drive out before you; for they committed all these things, and so I abhorred them. 24 But I have said to you, You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land that flows with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God who has separated you from other people.

13 “And if a man lies with another man, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood will be on their own heads.

14 “And if a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned in the fire, both he and they, so that there will be no wickedness among you.

15 “And if a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.

25 “Therefore you shall make a distinction between clean animals and unclean, and between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by animal or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground which I have separated from you as unclean. 26 And you shall be holy for me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from other people, so that you would be mine.

16 “And if a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman, and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood will be on their own heads.

17 “And if a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing, and they shall be cut off in the sight

things, and days are said to be holy. When referring to God the word means separate from all evil, all sin, all impurity. Holiness is one of the most striking and awe-inspiring attributes of the God of the Bible. No other literature in existence emphasizes God’s holiness so much or presents it so fully. God is completely, perfectly, utterly holy (Ex 15:11; Lev 11:44; 19:2; 1 Sam 2:2; Ps 145:17; Isa 6:3; Heb 1:12; 1 Pet 1:16; Rev 15:4). God has a hatred of all that is wicked, unclean, sinful.

demands that they separate themselves from all sin and evil. And He begins the work of purifying them (Eph 5:25-27; Titus 2:11-14. See also note at John 17:17-19). Places (Ex 3:5; 19:23; 26:33), things (Ex 28:2,38; 29:33,34; 30:10; 40:10), and days (Gen 2:3; Ex 20:8; Lev 23:2 – days for holy meetings) are also called holy. This is because God set them apart for sacred purposes in His dealings with men. 20:8 Ex 31:13. “Who sanctifies you” – the Hebrew here could be translated “Who makes you holy”, or “who sets you apart as holy.” 20:9 Ex 21:17; Deut 27:16. 20:10 Ex 20:14; Lev 18:20; Deut 5:18. 20:11-21 18:7-23; Deut 27:20-23. 20:22 18:28. The ground itself finds it hard to bear the sinners that live on it. 20:23 18:3,25. 20:24 Ex 13:5; 33:1-3,16. 20:25 10:10; Deut 14:3-21. Note at Lev 11:2-23.

The whole Bible is the story of how such a holy God devised the way whereby sinful men could be forgiven, purged of their sin, made holy and brought into His gloriously holy presence. Men are holy when God has separated them from others and set them apart for Himself (Ex 19:5,6; Lev 11:44,45; 1 Pet 2:8-10). In the New Testament all believers in Christ are called holy ones (Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1; etc). When God sets apart individuals or a people for Himself He

163 LEVITICUS 22:2

27 “And a man or woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall stone them with stones. Their blood will be on their own heads.”

himself even for his father or for his mother, if they die, 12 or go out of the sanctuary, or profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the LORD.

13 “And he shall marry a virgin. 14 He shall not marry a widow, or a divorced woman, or a profane one, or a prostitute, but shall marry a virgin of his own people. 15 And he must not profane his offspring among his people; for I the LORD sanctify him.”

And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people. 2 But he may defile himself for a close relative, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother, 3 and for his virgin sister who is near him, not having a husband. 4 But a leader among his people shall not defile himself to make himself unclean.

16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has any blemish is to approach to present the bread of his God. 18 For none who has a blemish shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man, or one who is disfigured, or has a deformed limb, 19 or one with a crippled foot, or crippled hand, 20 or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or one with a defective eye, or one who has skin defects or scabs, or crushed testicles. 21 No one among the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall approach to present the offerings of the LORD made by fire. He has a blemish; he shall not approach to present the bread of his God. 22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy, 23 but because he has a blemish he shall not go behind the veil, or come near the altar, so that he does not profane my sanctuaries; for I the LORD sanctify them.”

5 “They shall not make bald spots on their heads, and shall not shave off the edges of their beards, or make any cuts on their body. 6 They shall be holy for their God, and not profane the name of their God, for they present the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and they present the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.

7 “They shall not marry one who is a prostitute, or profane, and they shall not marry a woman divorced by her husband; for the priest is holy to his God. 8 So you shall sanctify him; for he presents the bread of your God; he shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy.

9 “And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by prostituting herself, she is profaning her father; she shall be burned in the fire.

24 And Moses told this to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

10 “And the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured, and who was consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head or tear his clothes, 11 and he shall not approach any dead body, nor defile

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and not to profane my holy name in those

21:1 The following two chapters give instructions regarding the priests. Priests here symbolize all believers in this New Testament age (see note at Ex 28:1). The priests were to be without defect and to keep themselves holy. The laws in these chapters are symbolic of spiritual realities that God wants to see in believers now. 21:1-4 Death is the result of sin and even the touch of death was to be regarded as defiling (Gen 2:17; Rom 6:16,21,23; Lev 11:40; Num 19:14; Ezek 44:25). So death speaks of man’s sinfulness and corrupted condition, and believers now are to watch themselves lest they be corrupted by the touch of the fallen world (2 Cor 6:14-18; Gal 1:4; 6:14; Col 3:2,5; Titus 2:14; 1 John 2:15,16; 5:19). 21:5 Deut 14:1; Ezek 44:20. Such practices were probably common among the peoples around them in that day. 21:6 “Bread of their God” – note at 3:11. 21:7 Ezek 44:22. 21:8 See 20:8 for alternate possible

translations of “sanctifies.” Holiness is one of the great key words of the Bible. 21:9 19:29. 21:10-15 The high priest signifies Christ the High Priest. Higher things were required of him than of the ordinary priests. He had a great work to do and must not let any relationship in life hinder him (compare Matt 10:37; 12:46-50; 16:21-23). 21:13 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25,26; Rev 19:6-8. 21:15 20:8. 21:16-23 The priests without physical defects signify the perfection of human nature that was in Christ and that God wants to see in all His people (Matt 5:48; 2 Cor 7:1; 13:11; Eph 4:13; Col 1:28; 4:12; Jam 1:4). The physical defects mentioned in vs 18-20 symbolize spiritual defects that make believers unfit for the service of God. Needless to say these physical defects have nothing to do with spirituality, and some physically handicapped people become great servants of God. 21:23 20:8.

LEVITICUS 22:3 164

things which they dedicate to me; I am the LORD.

children of Israel, and say to them: When any of you of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, presents his offering for any vow or for any of his freewill offerings which they offer to the LORD as a burnt offering, 19 for you to be accepted you must offer a male without blemish from the cattle, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But you must not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be accepted for you. 21 And if anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfil his vow, or as a freewill offering, of cattle or sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there is to be no blemish in it. 22 You shall not offer these to the LORD: that which is blind or injured or maimed, or having a sore or skin disease or scabs. And do not offer them to the LORD in fire on the altar. 23 You may offer either an ox or a lamb that is deformed or stunted as a freewill offering, but it will not be accepted for a vow. 24 You shall not offer to the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; you must not sacrifice it in your land. 25 Nor shall you accept any of those from the hand of a foreigner to offer as the food of your God, because they have a deformity in them, and are blemished. They will not be accepted for you.”

3 “Say to them, Anyone among all your offspring throughout your generations who approaches the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the LORD, if he has any uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence; I am the LORD.

4 “No one of the offspring of Aaron who is a leper, or who has a discharge, shall eat the holy things, until he is clean. And anyone who touches anything that is made unclean by a dead body, or a man who has a seminal emission, 5 or anyone who touches any creeping thing which can make him unclean or a man by whom he may become unclean, whatever uncleanness he has, 6 the person who touches any such shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy things, unless he has washed his body in water. 7 And when the sun sets, he shall be clean, and afterwards may eat of the holy things; because it is his food. 8 He shall not eat that which dies, or is torn by beasts, and so defile himself with it; I am the LORD.

9 “Therefore they shall keep my charge, so that they do not become burdened with sin because of it, and so die if they profane it. I the LORD sanctify them.

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, then it is to be with its mother for seven days, but from the eighth day on it will be accepted as an offering made by fire to the LORD. 28 And you shall not kill either a cow or ewe together with its young on the same day.

10 “No foreigner shall eat a holy thing; no one staying with the priest, or a hired servant may eat a holy thing. 11 But if the priest buys anyone with his money, that person may eat it; and those who are born in his house may eat his food. 12 Also if a priest’s daughter is married to a foreigner, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things. 13 But if the priest’s daughter is a widow, or divorced, has no child, and has returned to her father’s house, she may eat of her father’s food, as in her youth; but no foreigner is to eat of it.

29 “And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it so you will be accepted. 30 It must be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until the next day. I am the LORD.

31 “Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am the LORD. 32 And you shall not profane my holy name, for I will be sanctified among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who sanctifies you, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD.”

14 “And if a man eats of a holy thing unintentionally, then he shall add a fifth part to it and give it to the priest with the holy thing. 15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which they offer to the LORD, 16 or permit them to be guilty of trespassing in eating their holy things, for I the LORD sanctify them.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, These are the LORD’s feasts, my feasts,

17 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the

therefore they could be deformed or blemished, since people are like that. They did not represent Christ because they were not of those five kinds of offerings God prescribed as offerings in the place of sinners (Leviticus chapters 1-5). 22:24,25 That which is called the food of God must be perfect, for it speaks of Christ. 22:32 “Sanctifies” – 20:8. 23:1,2 In the first few chapters of Leviticus we saw that one kind of sacrifice alone could not signify all that the Lord Jesus did for

22:3 7:20,21; Num 19:13. 22:4 “Leper” – note at 13:2. 22:7 Num 18:11. 22:9 Ex 28:43; Num 18:22. “Sanctify” – 20:8. 22:10 Ex 29:33. 22:11 Otherwise what could he eat? 22:20-22 “Blemish” – there must be no blemish because the offerings signify Christ, the perfect one, the holy one. 22:23 “Deformed” – these offerings represented the people who gave them,

165 LEVITICUS 23:20

which you shall proclaim as holy convocations.

burnt offering to the LORD. 13 And its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD as a soothing aroma; and its drink offering shall be a fourth of a hin of wine. 14 And until the day you bring an offering to your God you shall not eat bread, or roasted grain, or any product of the field. This shall be a regulation forever throughout your generations in all the places you live.

3 “Work is to be done on six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work in it ; it is the LORD’s Sabbath in all places where you live.

4 “These are the LORD’s feasts, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their seasons: 5 In the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no heavy work in it, 8 but you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall do no heavy work in it.”

15 “And from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count off seven full Sabbaths. 16 You shall count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.

17 You shall bring out of the places where you live two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with yeast; they are the firstfruits to the LORD. 18 And with the bread you shall offer seven lambs a year old, without blemish, and one young ox, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offering, and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. 19 Then you shall sacrifice one young goat as a sin offering, and two lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And

9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you have entered the land which I am giving to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first of your harvest to the priest; 11 and he shall wave the sheaf in the LORD’s presence for you to be accepted. The priest shall wave it on the day following the Sabbath. 12 And on that day when you wave the sheaf you shall offer a year-old male lamb without blemish as a

sinners in His one sacrifice (note at 1:2). In this chapter we can see that one feast or festival or holy day alone cannot signify all that God wants for His people. There were seven of these times of observance for the whole nation. They covered the great events of Israel’s past, present and future. All these times of observance signify great spiritual realities revealed in the New Testament. All speak of Christ and His believers. The order of these feasts is also significant. 23:3 The seven feasts or festivals were in addition to the usual Sabbaths mentioned here. 23:5 Ex 12:3-13,21-27. This was a yearly reminder of their deliverance from slavery and death. The Passover signifies Christ, the Passover for believers, slain for them (1 Cor 5:7). The bondage of Israel in Egypt speaks of the bondage of sin. Egypt symbolizes this present evil world, the kingdom of Satan. Christ shed His blood to redeem and rescue us from this world system (1 Pet 1:18,19; Matt 20:28; Gal 1:4; Titus 2:14). In saving His people this was the first great work of the incarnate Christ. The Passover took place on the 14th day of the first month. It was also called the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread. Christ was crucified at the time of the Passover (Matt 26:17-20; 27:1,2). 23:6-8 The second festival was that of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12:14-20; 23:15; 34:18; Num 28:16-25; Deut 16:3-8). It was actually a continuation of the Passover. The first day was a rest day signifying, perhaps,

Christ’s rest in the tomb after His crucifixion. See note on unleavened bread at Ex 12:8. Israel was to observe this feast and for seven days eat bread made without yeast. Seven signifies a complete time. 23:9-14 This festival or holy day took place on the “day after the Sabbath.” If this Sabbath is the one mentioned in v 7, this would mean that the feast of Firstfruits took place on the 16th of the month. The Passover was on the 14th. In other words beginning with the Passover this was the third day, the day on which Christ rose from the dead (Matt 16:21; 17:23; 27:64; 28:1; 1 Cor 15:3,4). This feast of Firstfruits signifies Christ the first of all those who rise from the dead never to die again (1 Cor 15:20-23; Rev 1:5). 23:12 Note at 1:3. 23:13 “Two-tenths of an ephah” – probably a little more than 4 liters.

“Fourth of a hin” – probably about one liter.

“Drink offering” – Ex 29:40. 23:15-21 This feast was called Pentecost. Pentecost means “fiftieth (day).” It took place exactly fifty days after the feast of Firstfruits. Israel was to offer new grain to the Lord (v 16). This feast also was in some way like Firstfruits (v 17). Fifty days after the Lord Jesus rose from the dead the Holy Spirit came upon His waiting disciples (Acts 2:1-4). This was a new beginning. This age of the New Covenant, the age of grace, began then. The bread was to be taken with yeast (v 17) because it represented

LEVITICUS 23:21 166

the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And on the same day you shall make a proclamation; it is to be a holy convocation for you. In it you shall do no heavy work. It shall be a regulation forever in all the places you live throughout your generations.

there shall be a Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you. And you shall humble your souls, and present an offering made by fire to the LORD. 28 And on that day you shall do no work, for it is the Day of Atonement, for making atonement for you in the presence of the LORD your God. 29 For any person who will not humble themselves on that day shall be cut off from among his people. 30 And any person who does any work on that day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no kind of work. This is to be a statute forever throughout your generations in every place you live. 32 It shall be a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall humble yourselves. You shall celebrate your Sabbath on the ninth day of the month beginning in the evening, from evening to evening.”

22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field; and when you reap you shall not gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor, and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”

23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath, a reminder by the blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall do no heavy work in it ; but you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.”

33 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month begins the Feast of Tabernacles to the LORD, which goes on for seven days. 35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no heavy work in

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Also on the tenth day of that seventh month

believers and there is still some evil in them. Note on yeast at Ex 12:8. 23:23-25 Num 29:1-6. The feast or festival of Trumpets was the fifth feast. It took place nearly 4 months after the feast of Pentecost. Not much is said of it in the Bible and its symbolism is not explained. But in general the blowing of trumpets had several meanings.

Day of Atonement. It also took place in the seventh month. If the order of Christ’s actual work for sinners is followed, the day of atonement should come with the first three feasts in the first month of the year. For it was on the cross that Christ shed His blood and soon after entered heaven (Heb 9:1114). But if we carefully study Leviticus chapter 16 we can see that part of the ritual on the day of atonement took place after the high priest had made atonement in the Most Holy Place and came out (16:20-22). That is, confession of the sins of Israel took place after that atonement was made and after the high priest appeared again. Here in chapter 23 God gave the order in which these holy days should be observed because He wanted us to learn something by it.

It signified war (Num 10:9; Jer 4:19); assembling the people and moving on (Num 10:1-18);

announcement of a king (1 Kings 1:34,39; 2 Kings 9:13); manifestation of God’s majesty and power (at Sinai – Ex 19:16);

proclaiming the great festivals of Israel (Num 10:10; 2 Chron 29:27).

The feast of trumpets took place at the start of the seventh month. Seven signifies a complete period of time. The last two festivals also were in the seventh month. A complete period of time from the earlier festivals of the Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits as fulfilled spiritually in the New Testament would put the feast of Trumpets at the end of this church age. Then (if we follow the meaning of trumpet blasts in the Old Testament) we should have a final call to war, the gathering of God’s people, the appearance of a king, the manifestation of the majesty and power of God, the overthrow of the ungodly, and a great festival of rejoicing for God’s people. According to the New Testament this is exactly what will take place at the end of this age (Rev 11:15-18; 16:12-16; Matt 24:30,31; Rev 19:11-17; 20:6). 23:26-32 Ex 30:10; Lev 16:29-34; Num 29:7-11. The sixth appointed time was the

By placing the day of atonement as the sixth in the order, and in the seventh month, surely God would have us look for part of the symbolism of that day to be fulfilled at the end of this age.

Notice that the matter emphasized here in vs 26-32 is the humbling of themselves by the people of Israel and their observance of rest. The day of atonement was also a day of national confession and mourning and repentance. For these reasons it is very probable that this day here signifies the repentance of Israel at the end of this age described in Zech 12:10 - 13:1 and referred to, it seems, in Rom 11:25-27 (see notes on those verses). On that day they will partake of the atonement and receive their long rejected Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and find rest in Him. 23:33-43 Deut 16:13,16; Ezra 3:4; Neh 8:14; John 7:2. The seventh and last feast, the feast of Tabernacles or Booths, was five

167 LEVITICUS 24:19

it. 36 For seven days you shall present an offering made by fire to the LORD; the eighth day shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a day of solemn assembly, and you shall do no heavy work in it.

continually. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall keep the lamps in order on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

5 “And you shall take fine flour, and bake twelve loaves with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be used in each loaf. 6 And you shall place them in two rows, six to a row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. 7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each row to be a memorial portion for the bread, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 8 He shall place it in order before the LORD regularly every Sabbath. It is an everlasting covenant for the children of Israel. 9 And it shall belong to Aaron and his sons. And they shall eat it in a holy place; for it shall be most holy to him among the offerings of the LORD made by fire, his portion forever.”

37 “These are the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations for presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, and a grain offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its day. 38 This is in addition to the Sabbaths of the LORD, and in addition to your regular gifts and all your vows and all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD.

39 “Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep a feast to the LORD for seven days. The first day shall be a Sabbath and the eighth day shall be a Sabbath. 40 And on the first day you shall take for yourselves the fruit of choice trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of leafy trees, and willows from the brook, and shall rejoice in the presence of the LORD your God for seven days. 41 And you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall stay in booths seven days; all native-born Israelites shall stay in booths 43 so that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel stay in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”

10 And the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelite woman and an Israelite man had a fight in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed. And they brought him to Moses (his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan), 12 and they put him in custody so that the mind of the LORD might be made clear to them.

13 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring the one who cursed outside the camp, and have all who heard him put their hands on his head, and have all the congregation stone him. 15 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God will bear his sin, 16 and the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him, the foreigner just as the native-born; if he blasphemes the name of the LORD he shall be put to death.

44 And Moses announced the feasts of the LORD to the children of Israel.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel to bring to you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, so that the lamps will burn continually. 3 Aaron shall keep the lamps in order outside the veil of the Testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, from evening to morning before the LORD

17 “And the person who takes the life of any human being shall surely be put to death. 18 And the one who kills an animal must make restitution for it, animal for animal. 19 And if a man injures his

days after the Day of Atonement. That is, it signifies an event at the end of this age. Zech 14:16 is especially meaningful here. It speaks of a time in the future, after the repentance of Israel at the end of this age, and after the return of Christ to reign as king (Zech 12:10-14; 14:4-9). So this feast looked back to Egypt and its bondage and misery (vs 42,43), but forward to the gathering of Israel to joyfully worship the king, the Lord Jesus Christ as He reigns on the earth. The feast was to be for seven days – a complete and perfect period of time. 24:2 Ex 27:20,21. 24:4 Ex 25:31; 31:8; 37:17. 24:5 Ex 25:30; 39:36; 40:23.

“Two-tenths of an ephah” – probably a little more than 4 liters. 24:6 Ex 25:24; 1 Kings 7:48. 24:12 Ex 18:15; Num 15:32-34. 24:14-16 This instruction indicates how grievous a sin blasphemy is. God will punish those who do not regard His name as holy and who misuse it (Ex 20:7; 2:28; Lev 19:12; Deut 5:11; 28:58). Death was decreed because it was a sin worthy of death. Also God did not want the practice to spread among His people, and severe punishment was a way of hindering this. For a list of offenses under the law for which death was ordered see note at Ex 21:36. 24:17 Gen 9:6; Ex 21:12; Num 35:30,31;

LEVITICUS 24:20 168

neighbour, it is to be done to him just as he did, 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; it is to be done to him just as he injured the other man. 21 And he who kills an animal shall make restitution for it; but he who kills a man must be put to death. 22 You are to have the same law for the foreigner as for the native-born; for I am the LORD your God.”

be a Jubilee for you, and each one of you shall return to his family property, and each one of you shall return to his family. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you. In that year you shall not sow, or reap that which grows of itself, or gather the grapes of your untrimmed vines. 12 For it is the Jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You shall eat its produce of the field.

23 And Moses told the children of Israel to bring the one who had cursed outside the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

13 “In the year of this Jubilee each one of you shall return to his family property.

14 “And if you sell any land to your neighbour, or buy any from your neighbour, you shall not wrong one another. 15 You shall buy from your neighbor according to the number of years after the Jubilee and according to the number of years of the produce he sells to you; 16 you shall increase its price for a higher number of years, and you shall decrease the price for fewer years; for he sells it to you according to the number of the years of its crops. 17 So you shall not wrong one another, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.

And the LORD spoke to Moses in Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land which I am giving you, then the land is to observe a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 For six years you may sow your field, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruit; 4 but the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5 You shall not reap that which grows of itself after your harvest, or gather the grapes of your untrimmed vines; for it is a year of rest for the land. 6 And the Sabbath of the land shall be food for you, for you, and for your manservant and for your maid and for your hired man and for the foreigner who stays with you, 7 and for your cattle, and for the animals that are in your land; all the produce of the land shall be for food.

18 “Therefore you shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; then you will live in the land in safety. 19 And the land will yield its produce, and you shall eat your fill, and live in it in safety. 20 And you may say, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year? Look, we will not be sowing or gathering in our crops.’ 21 But I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will produce enough of a crop for three years. 22 And you shall sow the eighth year, and still eat of old crops until the ninth year; you shall eat of the old crop until its crop comes in.

8 “And you shall count off seven Sabbaths of years for yourselves, seven times seven years; so the seven Sabbaths of years come to forty-nine years for you. 9 Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall cause the trumpet to sound. You shall sound the trumpet throughout your whole land on the tenth day of the seventh month on the Day of Atonement. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall

23 “The land shall not be permanently sold, for the land is mine, and you are foreigners and temporary settlers with me. 24 And throughout the whole land which you possess you are to provide for redemption for the land.

25 “If your brother has become poor and sold away some of his property, then his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his brother sold. 26 And if the man has no one to redeem it, and he

25:20 This was a question sure to occur especially to an unbelieving mind. 25:21,22 To a believing and obedient people God is able to give all they could possibly need (Ps 37:25; Matt 6:31-33; 2 Cor 9:8; Phil 4:19). 25:23 The whole earth is the Lord’s, but the land of Canaan is His in a special sense (Ex 19:5; Deut 11:12; 2 Chron 7:20). Israel was there as God’s guest, as a tenant to look after the land for Him. The history of the world is full of wars for land between nations, and struggles for land between individuals. How few ever realize that it is all God’s property, and behave as if it were so. 25:24-31 “Nearest relative” (v 25) – a translation of one Hebrew word (goel) which

Deut 27:24. 24:20 Ex 21:23; Deut 19:21. This was the law of the nation and it was perfectly just. It was to be enforced by the nation’s judges and leaders and not by the individual. 25:3 Ex 23:10,11. 25:4 From the point of view of agriculture, regular times of rest for the land was good for it. 25:8-13 For meaning of the time of jubilee see v 55 below. 25:9 23:27. 25:10 Jer 34:8,15,17. 25:18,19 Only God can cause His people to live in safety and security. And for that they must be obedient to Him (Deut 12:10; 33:12,28; Ps 4:8; 12:5; Prov 21:31).

169 LEVITICUS 25:55

himself is able to redeem it, 27 then let him count up the years from its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, so that he may return to his property. 28 But if he is not able to refund it to him, then that which was sold shall remain in the hands of the one who bought it until the year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it is to be returned to the seller, and he shall return to his property.

and shall serve you until the year of Jubilee. 41 Then he is to leave you, both he and his children with him, and return to his own family, and go back to his family property. 42 For they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. 43 You shall not rule over him with severity, but shall fear your God.

44 “Both your slaves and your slave women whom you have, shall be from the nations that are around you; you may buy slaves and slave women from them. 45 Also you may buy from the sons of the foreigners who stay among you, and from their families who are with you whom they beget in your land; and they will be your possession. 46 And you may bequeath them to your children after you to have as an inheritance. They will be your slaves forever, but you shall not rule over your brethren the children of Israel with severity.

29 “And if a man sells a house situated in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a full year after it was sold; his right of redemption lasts a full year. 30 And if it is not redeemed inside that full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall become the permanent possession of the one who bought it and his offspring; it shall not be returned in the Jubilee. 31 But the houses of villages which have no wall around them shall be regarded as the fields of the country; they may be redeemed, and shall be returned in the Jubilee.

47 “And if a settler or a foreigner among you becomes rich, and your brother who lives near him becomes poor and sells himself to the foreigner or settler among you, or to the descendants of a foreigner’s family, 48 he may be redeemed after he has been sold; one of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or any of his close family relatives may redeem him, or, if he is able, he may redeem himself. 50 And he together with the one who bought him shall calculate from the year that he was sold to him to the year of Jubilee, and the price of his sale shall be according to the number of years. It is to be with him like the time of a hired man. 51 If there are still many years remaining, he shall pay the price of his redemption corresponding to the amount of his purchase. 52 And if only a few years remain to the year of Jubilee, then he shall calculate together with him, and according to these years he shall refund to him the price of his redemption. 53 And he is to be with him like a man hired yearly, and the other man must not rule over him with severity in your sight.

32 “As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem at any time the houses in the cities they possess. 33 And if a man purchases a house from the Levites, then the house that was sold in the city in their possession shall be returned in the year of Jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their property among the children of Israel. 34 But the fields of the suburbs of their cities are not to be sold; for it is their permanent property.

35 “And if your brother becomes poor, and his means of support fails among you, then you are to help him as though he were a foreigner, or a settler, so that he may live among you. 36 Do not take any usury or interest from him, but fear your God so that your brother may live among you. 37 You shall not lend him your money at usury, or sell him your food at interest. 38 I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

39 “And if your brother who lives among you becomes poor and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve like a slave, 40 but he is to be like a hired man and be with you like a settler,

54 “And if he is not redeemed during those years, then he shall be released in the year of Jubilee, both he and his children with him. 55 For

became man’s kinsman by the incarnation (John 1:1,14; Heb 2:9,11,14), and man’s redeemer by the cross. 25:32 Num 35:1-8; Josh 21:2. 25:35 Deut 15:7-11; 24:14,15. 25:36 Ex 22:25; Deut 23:19,20. 25:38 11:45. 25:39-46 Deut 15:12-18; 1 Kings 9:22. Note at Ex 21:2-6. 25:42 Those whom God has redeemed are His special property and must be regarded as such. 25:54,55 The year of Jubilee which came every fiftieth year is referred to 14 times in

came from the word meaning “to redeem.” Since the right of redemption belonged to the nearest relative, it came to mean that person. It could be translated “kinsman-redeemer”, or “redeeming relative.” See also vs 48,49 below. A beautiful example of the redeeming of property is found in Ruth. See Ruth 2:1,20; 3:12,13; 4:4-10,13. The kinsman-redeemer signifies the Lord Jesus, the Redeemer of His people. He paid the price for them and they have become His (1 Cor 19:20; 7:23; Rom 14:8; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 1:18; Rev 5:9). The price He gave was His own life (Matt 20:28). Though He was the Lord from heaven He

LEVITICUS 26:1 170

the children of Israel are my servants; they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

be your God, and you will be my people. 13 I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, so that you would not be their slaves; and I broke the bands of your yoke, and caused you to go upright.

“You shall not make for yourselves idols or set up an image or a sacred pillar, or set up any stone image in your land to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.

14 “But if you will not listen to me, and will not obey all these commandments, 15 and if you despise my statutes, or if your soul abhors my judgments, so that you do not obey all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will appoint terror, consumption, and fever over you, that will consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart. And you will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. 17 And I will set my face against you, and you shall be killed in the presence of your enemies. Those who hate you will reign over you, and you shall run away when no one is pursuing you.

2 “You shall keep my Sabbaths, and revere my sanctuary; I am the LORD.

3 “If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield its crops and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 And your threshing will last until the grape harvest, and the grape harvest will last until sowing time; and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

6 “And I will give peace in the land, and when you lie down no one will make you afraid. And I will eliminate savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not go through your land. 7 And you will chase your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will put ten thousand to flight, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.

18 “And if you will not listen to me in spite of all, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power, and will make your heavens like iron and your earth like brass, 20 and your strength will be spent in vain, because your land will not yield its crops, and the trees of the land will not yield their fruits.

21 “And if you proceed in opposition to me, and will not listen to me, I will bring seven times more plagues on you according to your sins. 22 I will also send wild beasts among you which will rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways will be deserted.

9 “For I will turn to you and make you fruitful, and increase your numbers, and confirm my covenant with you. 10 And you will eat old supplies, and clear out the old for the new. 11 And I will set my tabernacle among you, and my soul will not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will

23 “And if you are not corrected by me through

this chapter. On the year of Jubilee certain things were to take place – everyone was to return to his family property (v 10), and the family property to him (v 28; 27:24). It was a year of rest for the land (v 11); it was to be counted a holy year (v 12); liberty was proclaimed to all Israelites (v 10,39,40). In other words it was a year of the restitution of all property, release and freedom to those under the control of others, and a great Sabbath rest. As practically everything else in Leviticus the year of Jubilee has symbolic meanings. The author of these notes thinks it signifies the time of the restitution of all things (Acts 3:19-21); freedom from all bondage to the whole creation and to God’s people (Rom 8:19-23); and the great Sabbath rest God has promised (Heb 4:9). 26:1 Ex 20:4; 23:24; Lev 19:4; Num 33:52; Deut 5:8; 16:21. 26:2 19:30. 26:3 Now follows wonderful promises of blessing, but it is all based on the obedience of God’s people to His laws (see also Deut 7:12-26; 11:13-15; 28:1-14. Notice the word “if.” See notes on blessing or blessed at Gen 12:1-3; Num 6:22-27; Ps 1:1-3). 26:4 Deut 11:14; 28:12. God the Creator is

the one who controls the rain. Withholding rain would be one penalty for disobedience (v 19). 26:5 25:18,19. 26:6 Ps 29:11; 85:8; 147:14. 26:8 Deut 32:30. 26:10 They would always have enough and more than enough – if they would obey God. 26:11 Note at Ex 25:8. 26:12 Gen 3:8; Deut 23:14; 2 Cor 6:16; Rev 21:3. 26:13 Ps 107:14,16; Ezek 34:27. 26:14 See Deut 28:15-68; Josh 23:15. The penalties for disobedience recorded here are terrible indeed. And although God warned them in advance exactly what would happen, the people of Israel did not listen, and all these punishments actually came upon them. This can be seen from the following references. See also the note at Deut 28:65. 26:16 “Eat it” – Jud 6:3-6. 26:17 Ps 53:5; 106:41; Prov 28:1. 26:18 “Seven times more” – but still not all their sins deserved. 26:19 Isa 28:1-3; Ezek 28:21. 26:20 Jer 12:13. 26:22 “Wild beasts” – 2 Kings 17:25. “Deserted” – Jud 5:6. 26:23,24 Ps 18:25,26; Isa 59:18.

171 LEVITICUS 27:2

these things, but proceed in opposition to me, 24 then I will proceed in opposition to you, and will punish you still seven times more for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword on you that will execute vengeance for the covenant. And when you are gathered together in your cities, I will send plague among you, and you will be given into the hand of the enemy. 26 And when I have cut off the supply of your bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will give you your bread by weight; and you will eat and not be satisfied.

power to stand before your enemies. 38 And you will perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you. 39 And those of you who are left will waste away because of their sin in the lands of your enemies, and will also with them waste away because of the sins of their fathers.

40 “But if they confess their wickedness and the wickedness of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and also that they have proceeded in opposition to me, 41 and that I have also proceeded in opposition to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies, if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they pay for their wickedness, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac; and I will remember also my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 The land also will be deserted by them, and will enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. And they will pay for their wickedness because, yes, because they despised my judgments and because their soul abhorred my statutes. 44 And yet in spite of all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to completely destroy them and break my covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. 45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, so that I might be their God. I am the LORD.”

27 “And if in spite of all this you do not listen to me, but proceed in opposition to me, 28 then I will also proceed in opposition to you in anger, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. 29 And you will eat the flesh of your sons, and eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and hurl your carcasses on the carcasses of your idols, and my soul will abhor you. 31 And I will lay your cities waste, and make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell the odor of your soothing aromas. 32 And I will make the land desolate, and your enemies who live in it will be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and will draw out a sword after you, and your land will be desolate and your cities waste. 34 Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths, as long as it lies desolate, and you are in the land of your enemies. Then the land will rest and enjoy her Sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate it will rest, because it did not rest during your Sabbaths, when you lived in it.

46 These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the LORD established between himself and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

36 “And I will send weakness into the hearts of those of you who are left alive in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf will chase them, and they will run away as if fleeing from a sword, and they will fall when no one is pursuing. 37 And when no one is pursuing they will fall on one another, as if before a sword, and you will have no

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow, the value of persons belonging to the LORD, it shall be

26:25 Deut 28:21; Jer 24:10; Amos 4:10. 26:26 Isa 3:1; Ezek 4:16,17; 5:16. 26:29 Deut 28:52,53; 2 Kings 6:29; Lam 4:10. 26:30 “High places” – 1 Kings 3:2. “Idols” – 2 Kings 23:20; 2 Chron 34:4,7; Isa 27:9; Ezek 6:3,6; Amos 7:9.

Jer 31:10; Ezek 12:15; 20:23; Zech 7:14. 26:34,35 25:2-4,8,10,11; 2 Chron 36:20,21. 26:36 Isa 30:17; Lam 1:3,6; Ezek 21:7. 26:37 Jer 6:21; Nah 3:3. 26:38 Deut 4:26. 26:39 Ezra 4:17; 33:10. 26:40-44 If only Israel would humble themselves and confess their sins God would be merciful (Isa 1:18; 55:7; Micah 7:18; Luke 24:46,47; 1 John 1:9). 26:41 “Uncircumcised heart” – Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; Acts 7:51. This means a heart not made new by God’s grace and power. 26:45 Gen 28:13-15; 35:11,12; 26:2-5; 22:15-18; Ex 6:6-8. God will be faithful to His word even if people are unfaithful (Rom 3:4; 2 Tim 2:13; Titus 1:2). 27:2 Deut 23:21-23; Eccl 5:4,5.

“Abhor you” – 20:23; Deut 32:19; Ps 5:6; 78:59; Prov 22:14. God is love but He is also holy and righteous. Everything contrary to holiness, righteousness and justice is an object of His loathing. Notes at 20:7; Num 25:3. 26:31 “Lay your cities waste” – Neh 2:3; Jer 44:2,6; Lam 2:7. “Aromas”– Isa 1:13-15; Amos 5:21-24. 26:32 Jer 9:11; 12:11; 18:16; 19;18; 25:11; 33:10. 26:33 Deut 4:27; 28:64; Ps 44:11; 106:27;

LEVITICUS 27:3 172

according to your evaluation. 3 And if your evaluation is for a male between twenty years old and sixty years old, then your evaluation is to be fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. 4 And if it is a female, then your evaluation is to be thirty shekels. 5 And if the person is between five years old and twenty years old, then your evaluation is to be twenty shekels for the male and ten shekels for the female. 6 And if the person is between a month old and five years old, then your evaluation is to be five shekels of silver for the male, and your evaluation for the female is to be three shekels of silver. 7 And if the person is sixty years old or above, if a male, then your evaluation is to be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 8 But if he is poorer than your evaluation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall evaluate him; the priest is to evaluate him according to the ability of the one who vowed.

and it shall be deducted from your evaluation. 19 And if the one who dedicated the field would ever redeem it, then he must add the fifth part of the value of your evaluation to it, and it will become his. 20 And if he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it is not to be redeemed any more. 21 And the field, when it released in the Jubilee, shall be holy to the LORD, like a field devoted to the LORD ; it shall belong to the priest.

22 “And if a man dedicates to the Lord a field that he has bought, which is not a part of the fields of his family property, 23 then the priest shall calculate for him the amount of your evaluation to the year of Jubilee, and on that day he shall give your evaluation as a holy thing to the LORD. 24 In the year of Jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought, to the one whose land it was. 25 And all your evaluations are to be according to the sanctuary shekel. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs.

9 “And if the vow is an animal that men bring as an offering to the LORD, any such that is offered to the LORD shall be holy. 10 The person shall not replace it or exchange a good one for a bad, or a bad one for a good, and if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and the exchanged one shall be holy. 11 And if it is any unclean animal which they do not offer as a sacrifice to the LORD, then he is to present the animal to the priest, 12 and the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad; as you, the priest, evaluate it, so shall it be. 13 But if he should ever redeem it, then he must add a fifth part of it to your evaluation.

26 “But no one may dedicate the firstborn of animals. As firstborn they are already the LORD’s; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD’s. 27 And if it is an unclean animal, then he is to redeem it according to your evaluation, and shall add to it a fifth part of it; or, if it is not redeemed, then it is to be sold according to your evaluation.

28 “However no devoted thing that a man irredeemably devotes to the LORD from all that he has, either man or beast, or a field of his family property, is to be sold or redeemed; every such devoted thing is most holy to the LORD.

29 “No one irredeemably devoted to destruction who is devoted by men is to be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.

14 “And when a man dedicates his house to be holy to the LORD, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad; the evaluation of the priest will stand. 15 And if the one who dedicated his house would redeem it, then he must add to it the fifth part of the money of your evaluation, and it will become his.

30 “And all the tenth part of the produce of the land, whether the grain of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD. 31 And if a man would ever redeem any of his tithes, he must add to it its fifth part. 32 And as for the tenth part of the herd, or of the flock, of whatever passes under the shepherd’s rod, the tenth shall be holy to the LORD. 33 He shall not ask whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it. If he ever does exchange it, then both it and the exchanged animal will be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”

16 “And if a man dedicates some part of a field of his property to the LORD, then your evaluation is to be according to the seed needed for it. A homer of barley seed is to be valued at fifty shekels of silver. 17 If he dedicates his field from the year of Jubilee, your evaluation will stand. 18 But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, then the priest shall will calculate the value for him according to the years that remain to the next year of Jubilee,

34 These are the commands which the LORD gave Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai.

“Is the LORD’s” – these offerings of God’s people were for the support of God’s servants. If they did not give as God said they should they would suffer the consequences – Mal 3:8. Note and references on giving at 2 Cor 9:15.

27:21 Num 18:14. 27:26 Ex 13:2. 27:28 Num 18:14; Josh 6:17-19. 27:30-33 Gen 14:20; 28:22; 2 Chron 31:5; Neh 13:12.

NUMBERS

Title:

The name which the Hebrews called this book, “In the desert”, is more descriptive of its contents than the English name “Numbers”, which came from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament).

Author and date:

See the Introduction to Genesis.

Theme:

Israel under God’s training in the desert. The desert (or wilderness) wanderings were a punishment from God, but through them God taught Israel (and teaches us) many important lessons. He showed them that unbelief, disobedience, and complaining against His ways bring grief and trouble, but that trust and obedience result in blessing. Through the 40 years in the desert God also showed His faithfulness to His promises and prepared His people to enter the promised land.

Contents:

Numbering the people................................................................................... 1:1-54 Arrangement of the tribes for their journeys ................................................... 2:1-34 The tribe of Levi .......................................................................................... 3:1-51 The duties of the 3 families of the Levites ....................................................... 4:1-33 Numbering the 3 families of the Levites ........................................................... 4:34-49 Various instructions for life in the camp ........................................................... 5:1-31 Nazirites ..................................................................................................... 6:1-21 How the priests were to bless the people ........................................................ 6:22-27 Offerings by the tribal leaders ....................................................................... 7:1-89 Consecrating the tribe of Levi ........................................................................ 8:1-26 The first Passover after Egypt ....................................................................... 9:1-14 God’s cloud.................................................................................................. 9:15-23 The trumpet signals ...................................................................................... 10:1-10 Israel leaves Sinai ........................................................................................ 10:11-36 God punishes complaining with fire ................................................................. 11:1-3 God sends quail and punishment with them ..................................................... 11:4-35 Aaron and Miriam rise up against Moses .......................................................... 12:1-16 The spies go into Canaan .............................................................................. 13:1-25 The spies’ bad report .................................................................................... 13:26-33 Israel rebels at Kadesh-Barnea ...................................................................... 14:1-10 God’s anger and Moses’ prayer ...................................................................... 14:11-19 God decrees punishment ............................................................................... 14:20-38 Israel disobeys again .................................................................................... 14:39-45 Laws for various offerings ............................................................................. 15:1-29 The punishment for presumptuous, wilful sin ................................................... 15:30-36 Tassels on clothes ........................................................................................ 15:37-41 Rebellion of Korah and his friends .................................................................. 16:1-22 Punishment of Korah and his friends ............................................................... 16:25-35 Israel complains and rebels again ................................................................... 16:41-50 Aaron’s staff sprouts .................................................................................... 17:1-12 Duties of priests and Levites ......................................................................... 18:1-7 Support of priests and Levites ....................................................................... 18:9-32

NUMBERS 174

Water of purification for uncleanness ............................................................. 19:1-22 Moses disobeys in anger and strikes the rock .................................................. 20:2-11 The penalty for Moses’ disobedience .............................................................. 20:12 Edom refuses passage to Israel ..................................................................... 20:14-21 Death of Aaron ............................................................................................ 20:22-29 The bronze snake ........................................................................................ 21:4-9 The journey to Moab .................................................................................... 21:10-20 The defeat of Sihon and Og .......................................................................... 21:21-35 Balak sends for Balaam to curse Israel ............................................................ 22:1-41

Balaam’s refusal .................................................................................... 22:8-13 Balaam’s consent ................................................................................... 22:14-20 Balaam’s donkey.................................................................................... 22:21-31 Balaam’s messages ................................................................................ 23:1 - 24:25 Israel sins at Baal-Peor ................................................................................. 25:1-18 The second census ....................................................................................... 26:1-65 Right of inheritance for daughters ................................................................. 27:1-11 Moses’ successor ......................................................................................... 27:12-23 Laws concerning offerings, sacrifices, feasts ................................................... 28:1 - 29:40 Vows .......................................................................................................... 30:1-16 War against Midian ....................................................................................... 31:1-54 Inheritance east of the Jordan ...................................................................... 32:1-42 Summary of journeys from Egypt to Moab ....................................................... 33:1-56 The borders of Israel’s possession in Canaan .................................................. 34:1-29 Towns for the Levites ................................................................................... 35:1-5 Cities of refuge ............................................................................................ 35:6-34 Inheritance for daughters ............................................................................. 36:1-13

175 NUMBERS 1:34

And the LORD spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel by their families, by the households of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male, head by head, 3 twenty years old or more, all who are able to go out to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 4 And a man from each tribe is to be with you; each one the head of the household of his fathers. 5 And these are the names of the men who are to stand with you:

able to go out to war, 21 the numbered men from the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22 From the descendants of Simeon, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, their numbered men according to the number of names, head by head, every male twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 23 the numbered men from the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24 From the descendants of Gad, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 25 the numbered men from the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

“From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8 from Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar; 9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; 10 from the children of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11 from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran; 14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; 15 from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.”

26 From the descendants of Judah, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 27 the numbered men from the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28 From the descendants of Issachar, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 29 the numbered men from the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

16 These are those named by the congregation, leaders of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

30 From the descendants of Zebulun, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 31 the numbered men from the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

17 And Moses and Aaron took these men whose names were given, 18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month. And the people registered their ancestry by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, head by head. 19 So Moses numbered them in the desert of Sinai, just as the LORD had commanded him.

32 From the descendants of Joseph, from the descendants of Ephraim, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 33 the numbered men from the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

20 And from the descendants of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, head by head, every male twenty years old or more, all who were

34 From the descendants of Manasseh, by their

Sea. But God wanted them to fight and conquer the land He gave them – always, of course, trusting Him and not themselves.

1:1 “Tabernacle of the congregation” – note at Ex 25:8. 1:2,3 The purpose of this census is indicated by the words “able to go out to war.” There were enemies to be faced, a country to be conquered which was inhabited by powerful peoples. Israel needed to be prepared. They were not to depend on the number of their fighting men but on Jehovah God alone, who was the head of their armies (Josh 5:13-15). But they were to know what military resources were available to them. God could have defeated all their enemies by Himself by miraculous activity as He did the Egyptians in the Red

So it is with believers in Christ in this age of grace. They have spiritual enemies to face (Eph 6:12), and they need to be aware of their resources in Christ. God now could utterly destroy Satan and all the forces of evil arrayed against believers. But He wants us to fight in His strength and win the victory. He wants us to be active conquering soldiers, not passive puppets (Eph 6:10-18; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 2:3,4; Rom 8:37; 2 Cor 2:14; Rev 21:7). See notes at Josh 1:17; Judges 3:2.

NUMBERS 1:35 176

generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 35 the numbered men from the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over everything that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all of its furnishings. They shall take care of it, and shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 And when the tabernacle is to move forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. And an outsider who approaches shall be put to death. 52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies. 53 But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of testimony so that no wrath comes on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of testimony.”

36 From the descendants of Benjamin, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 37 the numbered men from the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38 From the descendants of Dan, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 39 the numbered men from the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

54 And the children of Israel did so. They did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

40 From the descendants of Asher, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 41 the numbered men from the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Each man of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, with the banner of their father’s household. They shall camp around the tabernacle of the congregation, at a distance.

42 From the descendants of Naphtali, by their generations, by their families, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of names, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war, 43 the numbered men from the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

3 Those of the standard of the camp of Judah shall camp according to their armies on the east side, toward the sunrise. And Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah. 4 And his army, its numbered men: seventy-four thousand six hundred.

44 These are those who were numbered. They were numbered by Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each of whom represented the household of his fathers. 45 So all those who were numbered of the children of Israel, by the households of their fathers, twenty years old or more, all who were able to go out to war in Israel, 46 all the numbered men were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

5 And those of the tribe of Issachar shall camp next to him, and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar. 6 And his army, its numbered men: fifty-four thousand four hundred.

7 The tribe of Zebulun comes next, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun. 8 And his army, its numbered men: fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

47 But the Levites of the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. 48 For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying, 49 “However you shall not number the tribe of Levi, or take their census among the children of Israel. 50 But you

9 All the numbered men in the camp of Judah: a hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred, by their armies. These shall set out first.

10 On the south side shall be the standard of

1:46 Ex 12:37; 38:26. 1:47-50 The Levites were later numbered (3:15,39), but they were not numbered among the men of war. They had different work to do. 1:51 God gave the whole tribe of Levi to Aaron and his sons to do the work of the tabernacle – 8:19. No one who was not a Levite, that is, no one who was not chosen by God for the work of the tabernacle could have anything to do with it. Here again God’s holiness and the holiness of all that pertained to Him are emphasized. It was an exceedingly serious error for an unconsecrated person to touch holy things

(Num 3:10,38; 2 Sam 6:6,7. Note on God’s holiness at Lev 20:7). 1:52 2:1-31. 1:53 “No wrath” – if others than Levites camped near the tabernacle they might be tempted to try to enter in or touch some of its holy furnishings. This would cause the anger of God to fall on them. God’s work must be done in God’s way by God’s people (see notes at 12:2; 17:1-11; Lev 10:1,2). 2:1-31 The tabernacle, God’s dwelling place, was in the center of the camp. This signifies God’s centrality for His people. Surrounding the tabernacle were the Levites. Then on all

177 NUMBERS 3:11

the camp of Reuben according to their armies; and the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur. 11 And his army, its numbered men: forty-six thousand five hundred.

the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. 30 And his army, its numbered men: fifty-three thousand four hundred.

31 All the numbered men in the camp of Dan: a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred. They shall go last with their standards.”

12 And those of the tribe of Simeon shall camp next to him; and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 13 And his army, its numbered men: fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

32 These were the numbered men of the children of Israel by the households of their fathers. All the numbered men of the camps by their armies were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. 33 But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

14 The tribe of Gad comes next; and the leader of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. 15 And his army, its numbered men: forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

16 All the numbered men in the camp of Reuben: a hundred and fifty one thousand four hundred and fifty, by their armies. And they shall set out second.

34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses. They camped by their standards like that, and they set out like that, each one according to their families, according to the households of their fathers.

17 Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. They shall set out just as they camp, each man in his place by their standards.

Now these are the descendants of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

18 The standard of the camp of Ephraim shall be on the west side by their armies; and the leader of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. 19 And his army, its numbered men: forty thousand five hundred.

2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to serve as priests. 4 And Nadab and Abihu died in the presence of the LORD, when they offered strange fire in the presence of the LORD, in the desert of Sinai, and they had no children. And Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the presence of their father Aaron.

20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh; and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 21 And his army, its numbered men: thirty-two thousand two hundred.

22 Then the tribe of Benjamin; and the leader of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. 23 And his army, its numbered men: thirty-five thousand four hundred.

5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the priest, so that they may serve him. 7 And they shall perform duties for him, and the duties of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, doing the service of the tabernacle. 8 And they shall keep all the furnishings of the tabernacle of the congregation, and perform the duties of the children of Israel, doing the service of the tabernacle. 9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons. They are wholly given to him from the children of Israel. 10 And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall carry out their priesthood; and the outsider who approaches shall be put to death.”

24 All the numbered men of the camp of Ephraim: a hundred and eight thousand one hundred, by their armies. And they shall set out third.

25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies; and the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And his army, its numbered men: sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

27 And those of the tribe of Asher shall camp next to him, and the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran. 28 And his army, its numbered men: forty-one thousand five hundred.

29 Then the tribe of Naphtali; and the leader of

11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

four sides were the rest of the tribes, each in its own place and each with its leader. God is a God of order (1 Cor 14:33). He wants everything and everyone in the proper place. In this age of the church He sets each believer where he should be in the church, Christ’s body (1 Cor 12:18), and

gives to each one his or her work (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:7; Eph 2:10). 2:33 1:47. 3:1,2 Ex 6:20-27. 3:3 Ex 28:1,40,41. 3:4 Lev 10:1,2. 3:6-10 8:6-22; 18:1-7.

NUMBERS 3:12 178

12 “And see, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be mine, 13 because all the firstborn are mine. For on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They are mine. I am the LORD.”

the tabernacle. 30 And Elizaphan the son of Uzziel was the leader of the households of the father of the families of the Kohathites. 31 And their duties were to be the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the furnishings of the sanctuary which they use in service, and the hanging, and all the work needed for it. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief leader of the Levites, and was to oversee those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.

14 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, saying, 15 “Count the children of Levi according to the households of their fathers, by their families. You shall count every male a month old or more.” 16 And Moses counted them according to the word of the LORD, just as he was commanded.

33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. 34 And their numbered men, the number of all the males a month old or more, was six thousand two hundred. 35 And the leader of the father’s households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 And the appointed duties of the sons of Merari were to be the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and all its equipment, and everything for its work; 37 also the pillars of the surrounding courtyard, and their sockets, and their pegs, and their cords.

17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19 And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the households of their fathers.

21 The family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites were from Gershon. These are the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those of them who were counted, according to the number of all the males a month old or more, their numbered males were seven thousand five hundred. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west. 24 And Eliasaph the son of Lael was the leader of the households of the father of the Gershonites. 25 And the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation were to be the tabernacle, and the tent, its covering, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26 and the hangings of the courtyard, and the curtain for the entrance of the courtyard which surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the cords for all its work.

38 But Moses and Aaron and his sons were to be the ones who camped in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tabernacle of the congregation toward the sunrise. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary on behalf of the children of Israel. And the outsider who approached was to put to death.

39 All the numbered Levite men, whom Moses and Aaron counted at the command of the LORD, by their families, all the males a month old or more were twenty-two thousand.

40 And the LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel a month old or more and take the number of their names. 41 And you shall take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the cattle of the children of Israel.”

27 And from Kohath came the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites. These are the families of the Kohathites. 28 The number of all the males a month old or more was eight thousand six hundred performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of

42 And Moses counted all the firstborn of the children of Israel, just as the LORD commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males according to the number of names, a month old or more, of those of them who were numbered, were twentytwo thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

Egypt. It was at the time of the giving of the ordinance of the Passover that God commanded the firstborn of Israel to be especially consecrated to God (Ex 13:1,2, 12-15). Among the 603,550 fighting men of Israel there would have been many more firstborn than 22,273.

3:12,13 Ex 13:2; Lev 27:26; Num 3:45; 8:14. 3:25 4:24-26; Ex 26:1,7,4-16. 3:31 4:15; Ex 25:10-40; 27:1,2; 30:1-5. 3:38 1:51. 3:43 No doubt these 22,273 were those firstborn who were born after the exodus from

179 NUMBERS 4:25

44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD. 46 And for those who are to be redeemed of the two hundred and seventythree of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels for each one. You shall take them according to the sanctuary shekel (the shekel is twenty gerahs), 48 and give the money with which the additional number of the Israelites is to be redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.”

and all its utensils inside a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it on carrying bars.

11 “And they shall spread a blue cloth on the gold altar and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and insert its poles.

12 “And they shall take all the service utensils with which they serve in the sanctuary and put them inside a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and put them on carrying bars.

13 “And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it, 14 and put on it all its utensils with which they serve at it, the firepans, the forks and the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar, and spread over it a covering of badgers’ skins, and insert its poles.

49 And Moses took the redemption money of those who were in excess of those who were redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 And Moses gave the money of those who were redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

15 “And when the camp is about to set out and after Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry it ; but they must not touch any holy thing, or they will die. These are the things in the tabernacle of the congregation which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, according to their families, by the households of their fathers, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

16 “And the responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light, and the fragrant incense, and the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil, the responsibility of the whole tabernacle and everything in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

17 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18 “Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites, 19 but do this to them, so that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint each one of them to his work and to his load. 20 But they must not go in to see while the holy things are being covered, so that they do not die.”

4 “This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, concerning the most holy things. 5 When the camp sets out Aaron and his sons shall come and take down the covering veil and cover the ark of testimony with it, 6 and put on it the covering of badgers’ skins, and spread over it a cloth all of blue, and insert its poles.

7 “And they shall spread a blue cloth on the table of showbread, and put on it the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and jars for drink offerings; and the continual bread is to be on it. 8 And they shall spread over them a scarlet cloth and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and insert its poles.

21 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 22 “Take a census also of the sons of Gershon, by the houses of their fathers, by their families. 23 Count those who are between thirty years old and fifty years old, all who go in to serve and to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

24 “This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, their work and loads: 25 They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the congregation, its covering and the covering of the badgers’ skins that covers it, and

9 “And they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, and its lamps, and its snuffers, and its trays, and all its utensils for oil with which they serve it. 10 And they shall put it

3:45-51 The Levites numbered only 22,000 (v 39).

sea cows. 4:7 Ex 25:30; Lev 24:5-9. 4:9 Ex 25:31,37,38. 4:13 Ex 27:1-8. 4:15 1:51. 4:16 Ex 30:22-38; Lev 6:20; 24:1-3. 4:20 Ex 19:21; 1 Sam 6:19. 4:25 Ex 26:14; 40:19.

“Five shekels” (v 47) – about 55 grams. “Thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels” (v 50) – about 15.5 kilograms. 4:5 Ex 26:31,33; Lev 16:2; Ex 25:10-16. 4:6 “Badger skins” – the Hebrew word may possibly indicate the skins of dolphins or

NUMBERS 4:26 180

the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26 And the hangings of the courtyard, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the courtyard which surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, and all the equipment for their service, and everything that was made for them. They are to serve in this way. 27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, all their loads and all their work shall be under the orders of Aaron and his sons, and you shall assign them the duty of all their loads. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation, and their duties shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

years old, each one who entered service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 40 those among them who were counted by their families, by the households of their fathers, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41 These are the ones of the families of the sons of Gershon who were counted, all who could serve in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron counted in accordance with the command of the LORD.

42 And those of the families of the sons of Merari who were counted by their families, by the households of their fathers, 43 between thirty years old and fifty years old, each one who entered service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 44 those among them who were counted according to their families were three thousand and two hundred. 45 These are those of the families of the sons of Merari who were counted. Moses and Aaron counted them in accordance with the word of the LORD through Moses.

29 “And you shall count the sons of Merari according to their families, by the households of their fathers. 30 Count those between thirty years old and fifty years, each one who enters service to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. 31 And this is the responsibility of their loads in all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation: the boards of the tabernacle, and its crossbars, and its pillars, and its sockets, 32 and the pillars of the surrounding courtyard, and their sockets, and their pegs, and their cords, with all their equipment and with all their service. And you shall assign by name the duty of the equipment they are to carry. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

46 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted according to their families and according to the households of their fathers, 47 between thirty years old and fifty years old, each one who came to do the work of the service, and the work of carrying the loads of the tabernacle of the congregation, 48 those among them who were counted were eight thousand five hundred and eighty. 49 They were counted in accordance with the command of the LORD through Moses, each one according to his service, and according to his load. So Moses counted them just as the LORD commanded him.

34 And Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites according to their families and according to the households of their fathers, 35 each one between thirty years old and fifty years old, who entered service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation; 36 and those of them who were counted by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These were the ones of the families of the Kohathites who were counted, all who could do work in the tabernacle of the congregation. Moses and Aaron counted them in accordance with the command of the LORD through Moses.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel to send away from the camp every leper, and everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is defiled by the dead. 3 You are to send out both male and female. You shall send them outside the camp so that they do not defile the camp where I dwell among them.” 4 And the children of Israel did so, and send them outside the camp. The children of Israel did just as the LORD told Moses.

38 And those of the sons of Gershon who were counted by their families, and by the households of their fathers, 39 between thirty years old and fifty

5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Tell the children of Israel that when a man or woman

4:26 Ex 38:9. 5:1-4 “Leper” – note at Lev 13:1-44. “Discharge” – note at Lev 15:2-13. “Defiled by the dead” – note at Lev 21:1-4. Besides teaching about sin by pictures and types (note at Lev 15:31) this exclusion from the camp was no doubt for hygienic purposes as well. 5:6 “Trespassing against the LORD” – observe these words carefully. Wrong done

against another person is unfaithfulness or disobedience to God. In fact, all sin, no matter what it might be, is rebellion against God (Ps 51:4; 41:4; 2 Sam 2:13; Gen 3:11; 20:6; 39:9). Human beings do not belong to themselves, but to their Creator, and so when they sin they harm not only themselves, but strike a blow at Him. This is doubly true of believers – they belong to God in a special sense (1 Cor 6:19,20).

181 NUMBERS 6:2

commits any sin that men commit, trespassing against the LORD, and that person is guilty, 7 then he must confess his sin which he has done. And he shall make restitution in full for his trespass and add to it a fifth part of it, and give it to the one whom he trespassed against. 8 But if the man has no relative to whom restitution for the trespass can be made, the restitution for the trespass is to go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram for atonement, with which atonement shall be made for him. 9 And each offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest shall become his. 10 And every thing a person consecrates shall become his; whatever any one gives to the priest, it becomes his.”

gone astray to impurity with another man instead of your husband, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 But if you have gone astray to another man instead of your husband, and if you are defiled, and some man other than your husband has lain with you’ – 21 then the priest shall have the woman take the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman – ‘the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD’s making your thigh decay and your abdomen swell. 22 And this water that brings a curse will go into your stomach to make your abdomen swell and your thigh decay.’ And the woman is to say, ‘Amen, amen.’

23 “And the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness, 24 and shall have the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse. And the water that brings a curse will go into her and become bitter. 25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand and wave the offering in the presence of the LORD, and offer it on the altar; 26 and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, its memorial, and burn it on the altar, and afterwards have the woman drink the water. 27 And when he has made her drink the water, if she is defiled and has trespassed against her husband, it will come about that the water that brings a curse will go into her and become bitter, and her abdomen will swell, and her thigh will decay. And the woman will become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman is not defiled, but is clean, then she will be free, and conceive children.

11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, If any man’s wife goes astray and commits a trespass against him, 13 and another man has intercourse with her, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and is undetected, and she is defiled and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act, 14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he becomes jealous of his wife, and she is defiled, or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, even if she is not defiled, 15 then the man is to bring his wife to the priest, and bring her offering for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour, pouring no oil on it and putting no frankincense on it. For it is an offering of jealousy, a reminder offering that brings wickedness to remembrance.

16 “And the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the LORD. 17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware jar and the priest shall take some dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and put it in the water; 18 and the priest shall have the woman stand before the LORD, and uncover the woman’s head, and put the reminder offering, which is the jealousy offering, in her hands, and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 And the priest shall have her take an oath and say to the woman, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not

29 “This is the law of jealousy, when a wife goes astray to another man instead of her husband, and is defiled, 30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and has the woman stand before the LORD. And the priest shall apply all this law to her. 31 Then the man will be innocent of any wickedness and the woman will bear her wickedness.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them,

5:7 If the sin involved the possibility of restitution, as, for example, in the case of theft, then mere confession was not enough. Restitution also was commanded (Ex 22:1; Lev 6:4,5; 24:18,21; 2 Sam 12:6; Luke 19:8). God will not accept a confession when there is no attempt at restitution. 5:8 Restitution must be made even when the person against whom the offense was committed is no longer alive. 5:9,10 Lev 7:32,34; 10:13-15. 5:11-31 In the whole Old Testament there is no record of any man ever using this means to determine the guilt or innocence

of his wife. Perhaps some did so. In any case, God’s principal purpose in giving this method of testing may have been to create a fear to commit such sin. Any woman should have been afraid to commit adultery if there was an infallible way of finding her out.

“Tenth of an ephah” (v 15) – probably about 2 liters. 5:21,22 The last phrases of each of these verses (also v 27) could mean barrenness and a miscarrying womb. 6:2 The word Nazir comes from a Hebrew word meaning to dedicate or consecrate. The Nazirite was either a man or woman who

NUMBERS 6:3 182

When a man, or a woman, vows the special vow of a Nazirite to dedicate himself to the LORD, 3 he must abstain from wine and strong drink and drink no vinegar made from wine or vinegar made from strong drink, and he must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or dried ones. 4 All the days of his dedication he must eat nothing that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds to the skin.

shall consecrate his head that same day; 12 and he shall dedicate the days of his consecration to the LORD, and bring a lamb a year old as a trespass offering; but the previous days will be void, because his dedication was defiled.

13 “And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his dedication are completed: he is to be brought to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 14 and he shall offer as his offering to the LORD one male lamb a year old, without blemish, as a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old, without blemish, as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as peace offerings, 15 and a basket of bread made without yeast, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers of bread made without yeast, smeared with oil, and their grain offering, and their drink offerings.

5 “All the days of his vow of dedication no razor is to come on his head. He is to let the locks of his hair grow until the days for which he has dedicated himself to the LORD are completed, and he shall be holy. 6 All the days of his dedication to the LORD he must not approach a dead body. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, if they die. Because the sign of his dedication to his God is on his head. 8 All the days of his dedication he is holy to the LORD.

16 “And the priest shall bring them before the LORD and present his sin offering and his burnt offering, 17 and offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest shall also present his grain offering, and his drink offering. 18 And the Nazirite shall shave his dedicated head at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of his dedicated head and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

9 “And if anyone dies very suddenly near him, and he defiles his dedicated head of hair, then he shall shave his head on the day he becomes clean. He shall shave it on the seventh day. 10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; 11 and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering and make atonement for him, because he sinned by being near a dead body. And the man

19 “And the priest shall take the ram’s shoulder

dedicated himself or herself fully to God for a stated period of time. Parents could dedicate their children as Nazirites for their whole life. This was done in the case of Samson, the only person in the Bible mentioned by name as being a Nazirite (Jud 13:5). It is possible that Samuel was one, judging from his mother’s vow in 1 Sam 1:11. Certainly he was dedicated to the Lord for life (1 Sam 1:27,28). There were other Nazirites too but we are not told any of their names (Amos 2:11,12). It is said of John the Baptist that he would drink no wine (Luke 1:15), possibly indicating that he was to be a Nazirite. In this Church age all believers are to fully dedicate themselves to God (Rom 12:1,2), they are to be spiritual Nazirites – which has nothing to do with not eating grapes or having long hair. 6:3,4 Nazirites had to abstain from certain things that others could freely partake of. The person dedicated to the Lord cannot live as those who are not. Wine spoke of the ordinary pleasures of life that were permitted to others (Ps 104:15). 6:5 Long hair was the outward sign of a Nazirite (Jud 13:5; 16:17). Long hair, the apostle Paul wrote, is a dishonor to a man but a glory to a woman (1 Cor 11:14,15). It speaks of a woman’s proper place of subjection to a man. The Nazirite male had to be willing to bear this reproach. Perhaps

it suggested his spiritual marriage to the Lord and subjection to God’s will. 6:6 “Dead body” – in this matter Nazirites had to be like priests (Lev 21:1). 6:7,8 Death was considered defiling (note Lev 21:1-4). Because of all the above rules for a Nazirite Jesus Christ could not have been one (although, of course, He was fully dedicated to the will of God and fulfilled all the spiritual realities that Old Testament Nazirites symbolized). He drank wine (Mark 14:23-25). He touched the dead (Mark 5:41; Luke 7:14); and there is no reason to think He had long hair. There is no connection between the words Nazirite and Nazarene. 6:9-12 The defilement of death, the wages of sin, must be removed by sacrifice (Lev 5:7. See notes at Lev 13:1-44; 11:1). The hair must be completely shaved as in the case of the leper (Lev 14:8,9), and the Nazirite had to begin afresh to fulfil his vow. 6:13-17 Lev 1:10-13; 4:27-35; 2:1-16; 3:1-5. The Nazirite, though especially consecrated to God and “holy to the Lord” (v 8), was still a sinner (had a sinful nature) and needed cleansing. This is true of the most dedicated, spiritual and holy Christians today also (1 Tim 1:15; Rom 7:18; Jam 3:2; 1 John 1:8-10; Matt 6:12). “Peace offering” – Lev 3:1. 6:18 Since long hair was a symbol all the days of his special dedication, the hair was removed

183 NUMBERS 7:14

after boiling it, and one cake made without yeast out of the basket, and one wafer made without yeast, and put them in the hands of the Nazirite, after his dedicated hair has been shaved off; 20 and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and lifted up shoulder. After that the Nazarite may drink wine.

those who were numbered, presented offerings. 3 And they brought their offering before the LORD: six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox. And they brought them in front of the tabernacle.

4 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 5 “Take it from them for doing the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.”

21 “This is the law of the Nazarite who has made a vow, and of his offering to the LORD concerning his dedication, in addition to what else he can afford. He must obey the law of his dedication in accordance with the vow he made.”

6 And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon in accordance with their service. 8 And he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, in accordance with their service under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9 But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath, because their part of the work of the sanctuary was carrying things on their shoulders.

22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the way you are to bless the children of Israel, saying to them,

24 “The LORD bless you, and keep you. 25 The LORD make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you. 26 The LORD lift up his countenance on you, and give you peace.

10 And the leaders made their offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day that it was anointed. The leaders presented their offering before the altar. 11 And the LORD said to Moses, “They shall present their offering, each leader on his day, for the dedication of the altar.”

27 “And they shall put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

12 And the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; 13 and his offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 14 one ladle of ten shekels of gold, full of incense,

And it came about on the day that Moses had completed setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all its furnishings, and the altar and all its utensils, and had anointed them, and sanctified them, 2 that the leaders of Israel, heads of their fathers’ households, who were the leaders of the tribes, and who were over

and burned once those days were over. 6:22-27 Here is the blessing which God Himself taught His priests to speak to His people. So these are the things He especially wants them to enjoy. They add up to a full and complete life. He wants them to have well-being and safety from every enemy (v 24; Deut 28:1-6; 1 Sam 2:9; Ps 12:7; 31:20; 91:11; John 17:11,15). He wants them to have His light in their lives and on their daily paths and to enjoy always the grace and kindness of God (v 25; Ps 31:16; 67:1; 80:1,3,7,19; 104:15; 119:135). He wants them to experience unbroken communion with Himself and the deep peace that only He can give (v 26; Ps 21:6; 42:5; 29:11; 85:8; 119:165; Isa 9:6,7; 26:3; 32:17; John 14:27; 16:33; Rom 14:17). All these He still wants His people to enjoy. Through the cross of Christ they are all made available to all who believe in Him.

30:7; 69:17; 102:2; Isa 1:15). One great purpose God had in giving the whole Bible was that people might learn how to receive His blessings and enjoy them forever. See notes at Gen 12:3; Deut 28:314; Ps 1:1,2; 119:1,2; Matt 5:3-12; Luke 11:28; Acts 3:26; Gal 3:9,14; Eph 1:3. 7:1 Ex 40:9,17. 7:2 The twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel brought exactly the same offerings and gifts, but each one is listed in full, with the name of each leader. God sees what we offer Him whether it is good or bad. If it is good He rejoices in it, He remembers it and He will reward it (Matt 10:42; Heb 6:10; Rev 22:12). If God’s people really believed this they would not be reluctant to give to God’s work. 7:4,5 The things we bring to God with a true heart are acceptable to Him. It is God’s way that the servants of God should be supported by the gifts of those whom they serve (Lev 7:14; Num 18:8-32; 1 Cor 9:7-14; Matt 10:9-11; 1 Tim 5:17,18). 7:13 “A hundred and thirty shekels” – about 1.5 kilogram. 7:14 “Ten shekels” – about 110 grams.

The lifting up of God’s countenance, the shining of His face on His people signify His favor and acceptance of them. The hiding of His face indicates His displeasure (Deut 31:17,18; 32:20; Ps 13:1; 27:9;

NUMBERS 7:15 184

15 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 16 one young goat for a sin offering, 17 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

42 On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the children of Gad, made an offering. 43 His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 44 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 45 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 46 one young goat for a sin offering, 47 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

18 On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, made an offering. 19 He presented as his offering one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 20 one ladle of gold of ten shekels, full of incense, 21 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 22 one young goat for a sin offering, 23 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

48 On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the children of Ephraim, made an offering. 49 His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 50 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 51 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 52 one young goat for a sin offering, 53 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the children of Zebulun, made an offering. 25 His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 26 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 27 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 28 one young goat for a sin offering, 29 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

54 On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the children of Manasseh, made an offering. 55 His offering was one silver dish of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 56 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 57 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 58 one young goat for a sin offering, 59 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

30 On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the children of Reuben, made an offering. 31 His offering was one silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 32 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 33 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 34 one young goat for a sin offering, 35 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

60 On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the children of Benjamin, made an offeri ng. 61 His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 62 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 63 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 64 one young goat for a sin offering, 65 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

36 On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon, made an offering. 37 His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 38 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 39 One young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 40 one young goat for a sin offering, 41 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings,

185 NUMBERS 8:12

66 On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the children of Dan, made an offering. 67 His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 68 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 69 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 70 one young goat for a sin offering, 71 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

the sanctuary shekel. 86 There were twelve gold ladles, full of incense, weighing ten shekels each, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel. The total gold of the ladles was a hundred and twenty shekels. 87 The total of the oxen for the burnt offering was twelve oxen, the rams twelve, the lambs a year old twelve, with their grain offering, and the young goats for a sin offering twelve. 88 And the total oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings was twenty-four oxen, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the lambs a year old sixty. This was for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed. 89 And when Moses had gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking to him from the mercy seat that was on the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubim. And he spoke to him.

72 On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, leader of the children of Asher, made an offering. 73 His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 74 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 75 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 76 one young goat for a sin offering, 77 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, When you light the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in front of the lampstand.”

3 And Aaron did so. He set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, just as the LORD commanded Moses. 4 And the workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold. From its base to its flowers it was of hammered work. He made the lampstand according to the pattern which the LORD had shown to Moses.

78 On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the children of Naphtali, made an offering. 79 His offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, in accordance with the sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, 80 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense, 81 one young ox, one ram, one lamb a year old, for a burnt offering, 82 one young goat for a sin offering, 83 and for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 And this is what you are to do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle purifying water on them, and have them shave their whole body and have them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 8 Then have them take a young ox with its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, and take another young ox as a sin offering; 9 and bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation; and gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together, 10 and bring the Levites into the presence of the LORD. And the children of Israel shall put their hands on the Levites; 11 and Aaron shall present the Levites before the LORD as an offering of the children of Israel, so that they may perform the service of the LORD.

84 This was the dedication offerings of the leaders of Israel for the altar on the day when it was anointed: twelve dishes of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold ladles, 85 each silver dish weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy. All the silver utensils weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, in accordance with

12 “And the Levites shall lay their hands on the

7:85,86 “Two thousand four hundred shekels” – about 28 kilograms.

8:8 The first bull was for a burnt offering. See note at Lev 1:1-9. The sin offering was an acknowledgment that though they were holy to the Lord they were still sinners and needed atonement. 8:9 Ex 29:4; 40:12. 8:10,11 Lev 1:4. This laying on of hands signified their acceptance of the Levites to serve for them in the tabernacle. They became a living offering to God for His holy

“A hundred and twenty shekels” – about 1.4 kilograms. 7:89 Ex 40:34,35; 25:21,22; Ps 80:1; 99:1. 8:2-4 “Lampstand”–Ex 25:31-40; 37:17-24. “Pattern” – Ex 25:9; 26:30. 8:6 Isa 52:11; 2 Cor 7:1. Those who do God’s work should he clean in every way. 8:7 19:9,17.

NUMBERS 8:13 186

heads of the ox; and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and present them as an offering to the LORD. 14 In this way you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

24 “This is what pertains to the Levites: from twenty-five years of age, and upward, they shall go in to perform the work of the tabernacle of the congregation; 25 and at the age of fifty years they are to stop doing its work, and shall not serve any more; 26 they may assist their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to perform the duties, but shall not do any work. Thus shall you deal with the Levites about their duties.”

15 “And after that the Levites shall go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. And you shall cleanse them and present them as an offering. 16 For they are to be given wholly to me from among the children of Israel. I have taken them for myself instead of the first issue of every womb, all the firstborn of the children of Israel. 17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. I set them apart for myself on the day that I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt. 18 And I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel approach the sanctuary.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses in the desert of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Have the children of Israel also keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month in the evening you shall keep it at its appointed time. You are to keep it in accordance with all its rites and in accordance with all its ceremonies.”

4 And Moses told the children of Israel to keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening, in the desert of Sinai. The children of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses.

6 And some men had become defiled by the dead body of a man, so they could not keep the Passover on that day. And on that day they came to Moses and Aaron. 7 And those men said to him, “Even though we are defiled by the dead body of a man, why are we kept away so that we cannot present an offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the children of Israel?”

20 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did this to the Levites. The children of Israel did to the Levites according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning them. 21 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes. And Aaron presented them as an offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation in the presence of Aaron and his sons. They did to the Levites just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning them.

8 And Moses said to them, “Wait, and I will hear what command the LORD gives about you.”

9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If any of you or of your descendants becomes unclean because of a dead body, or is at a distance on a journey, yet he shall keep the Passover to the LORD. 11 They shall keep it on the fourteenth day of the second month in the evening, and eat it with bread

23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

service (compare Rom 12:1,2). 8:14-18 3:12; 16:9. Israel as a whole was God’s (Deut 4:20; 7:6; 14:2). The Levites were representatives for them all, taking the place of the firstborn of every family in Israel. 8:19 “Gift to Aaron” – Aaron and his sons were the priests who served in the tabernacle. But there was far too much work for one family to do. Therefore God separated the whole tribe of Levi and gave them to Aaron and his descendants to help in the work – 1:50-53.

assistants. For 25 years they did the heavy work of the tabernacle. At age 50 they could completely retire if they wished, or continue on doing light work, or perhaps helping in the work of supervision, for an indefinite period of time, presumably many years more. No such age restrictions were given for Aaron and his sons, the priests. The priestly work of believers now (prayer, praise, giving of gifts, etc) does not cease at any age. 9:2,3 Ex 12:6; Lev 23:5. 9:6 5:2; Lev 11:25. 9:8 This is what everyone should do in any doubtful matter, in anything where guidance is needed (Ps 85:8; Prov 3:5,6; Jam 1:5). 9:11 The answer God gave to this problem was that those who were unclean at the

“No plague” – 1:53. 8:23-26 In 4:3 the beginning age for their service is given as 30 years. It would seem from this that during the first five years of service the Levites were apprentices and

187 NUMBERS 10:13

made without yeast and bitter herbs. 12 They are not to leave any of it until morning, or break any of its bones. They shall keep it according to all the ordinances of the Passover. 13 But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and neglects to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from among his people. That man will bear his sin because he did not bring the offering of the LORD at its appointed time.

23 At the command of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s orders in accordance with the LORD’s command through Moses.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make for yourself two silver trumpets. Make them of hammered work. They will be for your use in calling the assembly, and in the setting out of the camps. 3 And when they blow them, the whole assembly shall gather together to you at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 4 But if they blow just one trumpet, then the leaders who are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather together to you. 5 When you blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east side shall move forward. 6 When you blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall set out. They shall blow an alarm for their setting out. 7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.

14 “And if a foreigner is staying among you, and keeps the Passover to the LORD, he must do so according to the ordinance of the Passover, and according to its regulations. You shall have the same ordinance for the foreigner and for the one who is born in the land.”

15 And on the day that the tabernacle was set up the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony; and in the evening over the tabernacle there was what appeared to be fire, until the morning. 16 So it was always; the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then the children of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. 18 The children of Israel set out at the command of the LORD, and they camped at the command of the LORD. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle they rested in their tents. 19 And when the cloud stayed for many days over the tabernacle, then the children of Israel obeyed the LORD’s command and did not set out. 20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days on the tabernacle, according to the commandment of the LORD they stayed in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. 21 And so if the cloud stayed from evening to morning, and then the cloud was taken up in the morning, they set out. Whether it was by day or by night, when the cloud was taken up they set out. 22 Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, remaining over it, the children of Israel stayed in their tents, and did not set out. But when it was taken up, they set out.

8 “And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. And this shall be a permanent ordinance for you throughout your generations. 9 And if you go to war in your land against an enemy who oppresses you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you will be remembered in the presence of the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies. 10 Also on your festive days, and on your solemn days, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, so that they may be to you as a memorial in the presence of your God. I am the LORD your God.”

11 And it came about on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the testimony. 12 And the children of Israel set out from the Sinai desert; and the cloud came to rest in the desert of Paran. 13 And for the first time they set out according to the command of the LORD through Moses.

appointed time of the Passover could observe it one month later. 9:13 To neglect this appointed feast of the Lord was a very serious matter. It was the same as regarding it as of no value, as despising God who appointed it. The penalty was to be cut off in one’s sin. If we lightly regard the Word of God we shall suffer the sad consequences (Prov 1:24-32; Heb 12:25). 9:14 Ex 12:49; Lev 24:22. 9:15,16 Ex 40:2,17,34; 13:21,22. 9:17-23 Note at Ex 40:36-38. 10:1-10 2 Chron 13:12; Jer 4:5; Joel

2:1,15. Here trumpets were to be used in four different ways – for summoning the people, for the setting out of the people, as a call to war, and at feast days. Note at Lev 23:23-25. 10:11-13 This took place one month after the tabernacle was erected (Ex 40:17), more than a year after they left Egypt. They had been camped at Sinai about 11 months (Ex 19:1), receiving God’s laws and instructions. Now they set out on the journey to the land of Canaan. They move out in the exact order that God had previously given (vs 14-28).

NUMBERS 10:14 188

14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies moved first; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over its army. 15 And Nethaneel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. 16 And Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are travelling to the place of which the LORD said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do you good, for the LORD has spoken good concerning Israel.”

30 And he said to him, “I will not go, but will go to my own land, and to my relatives.”

31 And he said, “Please don’t leave us, because you know where we are to camp in the desert, and you can be to us instead of eyes. 32 And it will be, if you go with us, yes, it will be, that whatever good the LORD does to us, we will do the same to you.”

18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies. And Elizur the son of Shedeur was over its army. 19 And Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. 20 And Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad. 21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the others set up the tabernacle before they came.

33 And they went a three days’ journey from the mount of the LORD, and during the three days’ journey the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them to seek out a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, when they went out of the camp.

22 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; and Elishama the son of Ammihud was over its army. 23 And Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. 24 And Avidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.

35 And it came about when the ark set out that Moses said,

“Rise up, LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.”

36 And when it rested, he said,

“Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.”

25 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set out, the last of all the camps throughout their hosts; and Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over its army. 26 And Pagiel the son of Ocran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. 27 And Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. 28 This was the order of march of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set out.

And the people were like those who complain of hardship in the hearing of the LORD. And the LORD heard it, and his anger was aroused, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. 2 And the people cried out to Moses; and when Moses prayed to the LORD the fire was quenched. 3 And he called the name of the place

29 And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Raguel

10:29 “Father-in-law” – Ex 2:18; 3:1. “To you” – Ex 6:4-8. “Concerning Israel” – Gen 12:1-3; 17:6-8. 10:31 Since the pillar of cloud and fire guided them where God wanted them to go (Ex 13:21; 40:36-38; Neh 9:19; Ps 78:14), Hobab’s guidance was really unnecessary. Moses’ request may indicate a weakness in him. How often Christians, when they should get their guidance from God, seek it from human beings. Later we find Hobab’s descendants in Canaan (Jud 1:16; 4:11). So it seems clear that he accepted Moses’ invitation. 10:32 The people of God should always try to persuade others to enter with them into God’s blessings. 10:33 “Mountain” – Sinai. “Ark” – Ex 25:10-22. The ark was the symbol of God’s covenant and His

presence with them. 10:35 Ps 68:1,2; Deut 7:10; 32:41. 11:1 Notes at Ex 14:11,12 and Num 21:5. See also Ex 15:24; 16:2; Num 14:2; 16:11; 17:5. Grumbling or complaining is a terrible sin because it is the same as doubting God’s love, justice, guidance, goodness, and promises. If we complain against God we are saying that we are wiser and better than God. In this case this sin was swiftly punished. God’s anger is like fire which blazes against all evil, sin, and wrong. Note at Num 25:3. See also Isa 30:27; 33:14; Rom 1:18; Heb 12:29. 11:2 As Moses was the mediator and intercessor at that time, so now Christ is for His people (1 John 2:1; Heb 7:25; Rom 5:10). He it is who keeps the wrath of God from coming on them because of their sins. Note at Ex 32:11-13. 11:3 “Taberah” means “burning.”

189 NUMBERS 11:25

Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

16 And the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers, and bring them to the tabernacle of the congregation, so that they may stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and will put the same on them; and they will carry the burden of the people with you, so that you do not carry it by yourself.

4 And the mixed crowd that was among them had greedy desires, and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we ate for free in Egypt, and the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now we waste away. There is nothing at all before our eyes except this manna.”

7 And the manna was like coriander seed, and its colour like the colour of bdellium. 8 And the people went around and gathered it, and ground it between millstones, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes with it. And its taste was like the taste of some preparation made with oil. 9 And when the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna fell on it.

18 “And say to the people, Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; for you have wailed in the ears of the LORD, saying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat. 19 You will eat it not one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, and it becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you, and have wailed in his presence, saying, ‘Why did we come out of Egypt?”’

10 Then Moses heard the people wailing, everyone in their families at the entrance of their tents. And the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused. It was also an evil thing in the eyes of Moses. 11 And Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you treated me badly? And why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Have I conceived all this people? Have I given them birth, so that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries an infant at the breast, to the land which you swore to give to their fathers’? 13 Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are wailing to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 And if you are going to treat me like this, please kill me at once, if I have found favour in your sight, and do not let me see my own misery.”

21 And Moses said, “The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat so that they may eat it for a whole month.’ 22 Will the flocks and the herds be slaughtered for them, so they can have enough? Or will all the fish in the sea be gathered for them so they can have enough?”

23 And the LORD said to Moses, “Has the LORD’s hand become short? You will see now whether my word comes true for you or not.”

24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered seventy elders of the people, and had them stand around the tabernacle. 25 And the LORD came down in a

11:20 “Becomes loathsome” – when we insist on having something which is not God’s choice for us He may let us have it, but it will do us no good. Having our own way is the worst thing for us – Ps 106:13-15. Actually the granting of their request was a punishment for rejecting the Lord. Can, then, an answer to prayer ever be a punishment? Sometimes. 11:23 The answer of God to Moses’ wavering faith was this: God is all-powerful and can and will always do what He says He will do (Gen 18:14; Jer 32:17,27; Zech 8:6; Matt 19:26). If God can give meat to six hundred thousand men plus women and children in the barren desert He can also provide all anyone can ever need wherever they may be. And He will do so in response to faith. Compare Ps 23:1; 37:25,26; Matt 7:9-11; 2 Cor 9:8; Phil 4:19. 11:25 “Spirit” – how impossible it is to lead the people of God properly without the Spirit of God.

11:4-9 Though the fiery anger of the Lord burned against them their greedy desires were uncontrollable. They even dared to despise the food God had given them from heaven (Ex 16:14-16,31; Deut 8:3,16). We see from such behavior what man is in his fallen condition. 11:10 10:1. Moses was displeased. The burden of the people became very grievous to him. He could stand it no longer and began to complain himself. He practically charged God with treating him too harshly – vs 11-14. 11:15 Desires and prayers for death are not uncommon even among the greatest leaders of God’s people (1 Kings 19:4; Job 3:11,21,22; Jer 20:14-18; Jonah 4:8; Phil 1:23). But when the burden of life and service gets to be almost unendurable, God understands and helps and comforts His people. 11:18 “Well with us in Egypt” – see Ex 1:9-11,13-16; 2:23-25. How quickly the past is forgotten! Compare 16:12,13.

“Prophesied” – to prophesy means to

NUMBERS 11:26 190

cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him and gave the same to the seventy elders. And it happened that, when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but did not continue.

who gathered the least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 And while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD burned against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague. 34 And he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had been greedy.

26 But two of the men remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. They were enrolled with the others but did not go to the tabernacle. And the Spirit rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

35 And the people set out from Kibroth Hattaavah for Hazeroth, and stayed at Hazeroth.

28 And Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant from his youth, answered and said, “My lord Moses, forbid them.”

And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married (for he had married an Ethiopian woman). 2 And they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken also through us?” And the LORD heard it.

29 And Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

31 And a wind from the LORD went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall near the camp for about the distance of a day’s journey on this side, and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits deep on the surface of the ground. 32 And the people were up all that day and all that night and all the next day gathering the quails. The one

4 And the LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come to the tabernacle of the congregation.” And the three of them came. 5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the doorway of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6 And he said, “Listen now to

speak under the influence of some inspiration or other. True prophets spoke inspired by the Spirit of God (2 Pet 1:21), false prophets spoke under the influence of the spirit of some demon or false god, or out of their heated imaginations (Ezek 13:2,3; 1 Kings 18:25,26,29; Jer 14:14; 23:13). True prophets predicted the future with absolute accuracy because God revealed it to them. They also taught the word of God already revealed. See note at Gen 20:7. 11:28 Joshua was jealous for Moses, wanting him alone to be the prophet of Israel. Compare Mark 9:38-40. 11:29 Moses had a higher view of matters. He was a meek and humble man (12:3). He did not desire a high position or honor from men. If others rose to a high place He was not envious of them. His one desire was that God be honored and that the work of God go forward. In all this he is a great example to all of us. Paul was of a similar mind (1 Cor 14:5). These are the kind of leaders God’s people always need, not the kind who are out for their own honor or power or financial benefit. 11:31,32 God kept His word given in v 18. “Ten homers” – probably about 60 bushels or 2.2 kiloliters. 11:33 Ps 78:26-31. Let us be careful what we ask for and how we ask. 11:34 Greed or covetousness is like idolatry (Col 3:5), and God’s wrath comes on it. Kibroth Hattavah means “graves of those who craved.”

12:1,2 Moses’ first wife was Zipporah, a Midianite (Ex 2:15,16,21; 2:1). It would seem from this verse that she had died and Moses had remarried. His wife was an Ethiopian woman. Moses’ brother and sister used this as an occasion to speak against Moses. But it is clear from v 2 that they were not satisfied to be subordinate to Moses and were rebelling against his leadership. They were not content to be in the position God gave them. This is a grievous sin – see note at 16:9-11. We must learn to accept the position God gives to us in His Church. Struggling and striving for position and honors is not Christ’s way (Ps 75:6,7; Matt 20:25-28; 23:11,12; Luke 17:10). Our concern should not be to gain a high place but to be zealous and faithful in the place where God has put us, and to seek His honor, not our own. Note at 16:1,2. 12:3 The Bible records both the virtues and sins of God’s people. Moses meekly endured the verbal attacks and rebellion of his brother and sister. He did not defend himself. He did not consider his prestige. In this he was a great example to us all. Christ was an even greater example (Isa 53:7; Heb 12:2,3; 1 Pet 2:21-23). 12:4-8 Sometimes God lets His servants suffer opposition, rebellion, and slander for a long time, but here it was necessary for the good of His people to speedily judge the case and vindicate Moses. 12:6 This was one way God used to reveal His truth to the people then. He frequently

191 NUMBERS 13:20

my words. If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses who is faithful in all my household. 8 With him I will speak mouth to mouth, and openly, and not in riddles. And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Israel. You shall send one man, each one a leader among them, from each tribe of their fathers.”

3 And by the command of the LORD Moses sent them from the desert of Paran. All those men were heads of the children of Israel.

4 And these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph, that is, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

9 And the anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.

10 And the cloud went up from the tabernacle, and immediately Miriam became leprous, white as snow. And Aaron looked at Miriam, and saw that she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not lay this sin to our account, which we have foolishly committed and of which we are guilty. 12 Do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb.”

13 And Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “Heal her now, O God, I beg you.”

16 These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.

14 And the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had only spit in her face, should she not be ashamed for seven days? Have her confined outside the camp for seven days, and after that let her be received inside again.” 15 And Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days; and the people did not set out until Miriam was brought in again.

17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up there to the south region, then go up into the hill country, 18 and see what the land is like, and the people who live in it, whether they are strong or weak, few or many, 19 and see whether the land that they live in is good or bad, and what cities they are living in, whether they are like camps or fortified places, 20 and what the ground is like, whether it is fertile or poor, whether there are trees or not. And make a strong effort to bring some of the fruit

16 And afterwards the people moved from Hazeroth, and camped in the desert of Paran.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men for yourselves to search the land of Canaan, which I will give to the children of

made use of visions and dreams.

12:11,12 Aaron’s anguish and repentance are clear. He calls Moses “my lord” (here meaning my master or my leader), and there is no reason to think he ever rebelled again. 12:13 Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27,28; Acts 7:60. 12:14 Even when sin is forgiven it is right for the guilty to bear something of the consequences of it. Note at 14:22,23. 12:15 Lev 14:7,8. 13:1,2 Judging from Deut 1:19-23 the original suggestion to spy out the land came from the people. God gave orders to do what was in the people’s hearts to do. His original instruction to them was to go up and possess the land (Deut 1:8,21). This they were very reluctant to try to do. 13:17-20 The sending of spies into the land could have had a good effect if the people had not been so unbelieving and rebellious. They might have been better prepared knowing what faced them in Canaan. The Lord Jesus and the apostles often warned believers of things that faced them in the future so they would be prepared for them (Matt 24:9; John 16:1-4,33; Acts 14:22;

“Vision” – Gen 15:1; Isa 1:1; Ezek 8:4; Dan 2:19; 7:2; Nah 1:1; Acts 9:10; 10:3; 16:9; 18:9; Rev 9:17. “Dream” – Gen 20:3; 28:12; 37:5; 1 Kings 3:5; Dan 7:1; Joel 2:28; Matt 1:20. Now we have God’s complete revelation in the Bible and there is not so much need for dreams and visions, though, no doubt, God may still give them if He pleases. But of this we may be sure – in no dream or vision will He add to the revelation of doctrines He has given in the Bible or give anything contrary to its truth. Other notes on dreams at Gen 15:12; Deut 13:1. 12:7 Josh 1:1; Heb 3:2,5. 12:8 “Mouth” – Deut 34:10. “Form” – Ex 20:4; 24:10,11; 33:18-23. 12:9 1:10. 12:10 Deut 24:9. “Leprous” – see notes at Lev 13:1,2,47; 14:34. It is not written that Aaron was punished. Perhaps Miriam was the instigator of this rebellion. Perhaps Aaron’s punishment was to see the wretched condition of his sister and to know he was partly responsible for it.

NUMBERS 13:21 192

of the land.” Now the time was the season of first ripe grapes.

Amorites live in the mountains, and the Canaanites live along the sea and by the banks of the Jordan.”

21 So they went up and explored the land from the desert of Zin to Rehob, toward Hamath. 22 And they went up from the south and arrived at Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came to the valley of Eshcol, and there cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes and carried it on a pole between two men. And they brought some pomegranates and some figs. 24 The place was called Eshcol Valley, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut off there. 25 And after forty days they came back from exploring the land.

30 And Caleb silenced the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to conquer it.”

31 But the men who went up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they brought a bad report to the children of Israel about the land which they had explored, saying, “The land which we went through exploring it is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are of great size. 33 And we saw the giants there, the sons of Anak, who are descended from the giants; and in our own sight we were like grasshoppers, as we were in their sight also.”

26 And they proceeded on and came to Moses and to Aaron and to the whole congregation of the children of Israel at Kadesh in the desert of Paran, and reported to them and to the whole congregation, and showed them the fruit from the land. 27 So they gave him this account and said, “We went to the land where you sent us, and it certainly does flow with milk and honey; and this is some of its fruit. 28 However, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities have walls and are very large. Also we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the southern region, and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the

And the whole congregation raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, ”If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this desert! 3 And why is the LORD bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our children will become plunder. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader to return to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron prostrated themselves

Eph 6:10-20; 1 Pet 4:1). But with an unbelieving people, as then on the borders of Canaan, a fuller knowledge of the power of the enemy contributed to their fear, despair and rebellion. 13:21 Zin was in the extreme south of Canaan, Rehob at Hamath was in the extreme north. 13:22 The Anaks were a race of giants. 13:24 “Eschol” means “cluster” or “bunch.” 13:27 Ex 3:8,17; 13:5; Deut 1:24,25. The spies admitted that the land was just what God said it was. 13:28,29 This also was true, but what was that to God who had promised them victory? 13:30 One voice spoke with faith (joined later by Joshua’s) – God had promised them the land so it was certain that God would enable them to overcome enemies stronger than themselves. He had struck down the Egyptians and could do the same to the Canaanites (Deut 1:30,31). But how difficult it is to get people to really trust God! Observe that the majority is not always right and that men of God sometimes must stand alone for God. 13:31 Their voice spoke of unbelief in God’s promises, faithfulness, power, and love. 13:32 They said at first it was a good land (v 27). But fear and unbelief made them doubt if they could take it. 13:33 If God fights for “grasshoppers” they can conquer giants.

14:1 This sad chapter is a lesson on unbelief and its consequences. As usual the people doubted their beliefs and believed their doubts. So they wept. The one and only thing that could keep them from taking possession of Canaan was unbelief. And this sin they immediately committed (Heb 3:18,19). Now the only thing that can keep us from inheritance in Christ and heaven is unbelief (Mark 16:16; John 3:36). Let us be careful to avoid the bad example of Israel. 14:2 Note at Ex 14:11,12. See also Ex 15:24; 16:2; Num 11:1; 16:11; 17:5. 14:3 What a slander on God who loved them, delivered them from their bondage, gave them food from heaven and water from the rock, and poured on them loving kindness and tender mercies! Let us not fall into the same condition. Unbelief always slanders God and fails to receive God’s blessings. 14:4 This is the wickedness of unbelief. Then it would stir up the people to forsake God’s way and turn back to the very condition of bondage from which He had delivered them. Now it would tempt those who make a profession of faith in Christ to forsake Christ’s way and turn back to the world of which Egypt is but a type and picture (Gal 4:8,9; 2 Tim 4:10; 2 Pet 2:20-22). 14:5 Moses expressed his great alarm and burden to pray. See 16:4,22,45; 20:6; Deut 9:18,25.

193 NUMBERS 14:32

before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who explored the land, tore their clothes, 7 and spoke to all the company of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we went through to explore it, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, then he will take us into this land, and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, or be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has left them, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

18 ‘The LORD is slow to get angry and of great mercy, forgiving wickedness and transgression, yet not leaving sin unpunished, visiting the wrongdoing of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 Pardon, I beg you, the wickedness of this people in accordance with the greatness of your mercy, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt up until now.”

20 And the LORD said, “I have pardoned them in accordance with your word. 21 But as truly as I live, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22 Because all those men who have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the desert have tempted me now these ten times, and have not listened to my voice, 23 they will by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor will any of those who treated me with contempt see it. 24 But as for my servant Caleb, because he had a different spirit in him, and followed me fully, I will bring him into the land where he went, and his offspring will possess it. 25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valley. Tomorrow turn and set out into the desert by way of the Red Sea.”

10 But the whole congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared on the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. 11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat me with contempt? And how long will it be before they believe me, in spite of all the signs which I have showed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and disown them, and will make of you a greater and stronger nation than they.”

13 And Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear it (for with your strength you brought up this people from among them), 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land; for they have heard that you, LORD, are among this people, that you, LORD, are seen face to face, and that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire. 15 Now if you kill all these people like one man, then the nations which have heard of your fame will speak, saying, 16 ‘The LORD has killed this people in the desert because he was not able to bring them into the land which he swore to them.’

26 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 27 “How long will I have to endure this evil congregation that complains against me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel which they make against me. 28 Tell them this: As truly as I live, says the LORD, I will do to you just as you have spoken in my hearing; 29 your carcasses will fall in this desert, all of you men who were counted, the complete number of you twenty years old and more who have complained against me, 30 will not at all enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31 But as for your little ones, whom you said would be plunder, I will take them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your carcasses will fall

17 “And now, I beg you, let the power of my Lord be great, just as you have spoken, saying,

14:6-9 Joshua joins Caleb (13:30) in exhorting the people to faith and obedience. 14:10 “To stone them” – unbelief drives people to take desperate measures (Ex 17:4; 2 Chron 24:20,21; John 10:31; Acts 7:57-60; Heb 11:37).

14:19 Ex 32:32; 34:9; Heb 7:25; 1 John 2:1. 14:20 So God the Father hears the prayers of His Son for His people. 14:21 Isa 6:3; Hab 2:14. 14:22,23 They were pardoned, but they must be chastised and bear something of the consequences of their sin. Compare 2 Sam 12:10,11,14; Heb 12:6; Rev 3:19; Prov 23:13,14; 1 Cor 5:4,5; 11:29,30. 14:24 26:65; 32:11,12; Deut 1:36; Josh 14:6-13. 14:25-35 This is what they chose in their unbelief and disobedience and this is what they got. Here is an example of divine justice at work (Deut 30:19,20; Prov 1:28-31; 5:21-23; Isa 3:11; Jer 6:19; Ezek 18:3032; Matt 23:37-39; John 3:18-20; Gal 6:7,8). The people of Israel opposed God, now He would oppose them (v 34;

“Glory” – Ex 16:10; Lev 9:23. 14:11 Unbelief is rooted in man’s selfishness, sinfulness, ignorance, and prejudice, and even a sight of God’s miracles does not overcome it (Ps 78:11,32; 106:21-24; Luke 16:31; John 6:26). Unbelief wants only a full belly; promises of glory mean nothing to it. 14:12 Note at Ex 32:10. 14:13-16 Notes at Ex 32:11-13; Num 11:2. God’s reputation was bound up with His people. 14:17,18 See notes at Ex 20:6; 34:6,7.

NUMBERS 14:33 194

in this wilderness. 33 And your children will wander in the wilderness for forty years, and bear your unfaithfulness, until your corpses end in the wilderness. 34 You will bear your sins for forty years, according to the number of days in which you explored the land, forty days, each day for a year, and you will know my opposition. 35 I the LORD have spoken; I will surely do these things to this whole evil congregation that is gathered together against me. They will be devoured in this wilderness and here they will die.”

down before the face of your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”

44 But they presumptuously went up to the top of the hill, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, did not leave the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill came down and attacked them and beat them down as far as Hormah.

36 And as for the men whom Moses sent to explore the land, who returned and caused the whole congregation to complain against him by bringing a bad report about the land, 37 those men who brought the bad report about the land died by a plague in the presence of the LORD. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among the men who went to explore the land, remained alive.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you have entered the land where you are to live, which I will give to you, 3 and make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or as a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a fragrant aroma to the LORD, from the herd, or from the flock, 4 then the one who presents his offering to the LORD is to bring a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil. 5 And prepare a fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering with the burnt offering or sacrifice for each lamb.

39 And Moses told these things to all the children of Israel; and the people mourned greatly. 40 And they got up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “See, here we are, and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.”

41 And Moses said, “Why are you now breaking the command of the LORD? But this will not succeed. 42 Do not go up, or you will be stuck

6 “Or for a ram, you must prepare two tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil as

Lev 26:23,24,27,28; Ps 18:25,26). 14:36,37 This judgment was speedily executed by God on the unbelieving spies. Beware of unbelief! 14:40 Their repentance and confession were not real. This is revealed by the fact that they immediately disobeyed God again and refused His command given in v 25 and His word given through Moses in vs 41-43. False repentance will never obtain good results. 14:44 See Eccl 9:3; Jer 17:9. Sin and unbelief are like insanity. Some Christians are so foolish as to go against Satan in their own strength. 14:45 This is the usual result of self-effort in God’s name apart from God. Canaan is a picture of the inheritance of believers in the heavenly places in Christ. We can enter into an experience of its blessings by a victorious faith in God’s promises and a moving forward according to His word. Faith and obedience bring with them the power of God working in behalf of the believer. Unbelief robs us of the victory, rest, and enjoyment of God’s blessings He wants us to have. Egypt is a type of the sinful world under God’s wrath. The desert speaks of the temptations and trials all believers must pass through on their way to heaven.

in Egypt (the world), as a pilgrim to heaven he is in the desert, spiritually in Christ he is also already in the heavenly places. Notes at Num 20:12; Ex 15:27; Deut 1:19; Josh 1:17; Jud 3:2; Eph 1:3; 2:6. Numbers chapter 14 shows that Israel was not yet ready for Canaan. 15:1,2 The people of Israel had lost their opportunity to enter Canaan for 40 years. A great many of them then living would never enter it. However, God immediately began to speak of what they should do after the people of Israel entered it – so certain it was that they would finally arrive in the land. Though they failed, He would not. Chapters 15 to 20 of Numbers cover a period of about 38 years. During that time Israel was wandering here and there in the desert regions south of Canaan. The instructions to the priests in this chapter, for the most part, had been given before at Sinai. Given again here they showed that the covenant was still in force, that God would undertake to bring them into Canaan, and that they should still observe His laws. 15:3 “Offering” – Lev 1:2,3; 22:21. “Aroma” – Gen 8:21; Lev 1:9; Eph 5:2; Phil 4:18. 15:4 Lev 2:1. “Tenth of an ephah” – about 2 liters. “Fourth of a hin” – about 1 liter. 15:5 Ex 29:40; Lev 23:13.

It seems that the believer now is in three places at the same time – physically he is

195 NUMBERS 15:35

a grain offering, 7 and as a drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, as a fragrant aroma to the LORD.

commanded you through Moses from the day that the LORD first commanded him, and from now on throughout your generations, 24 then it shall be, if any sin has been committed through ignorance, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young ox as a burnt offering, as a fragrant aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, in accordance with the ordinance, and one young goat as a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it was done in ignorance. And they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering, before the LORD, for their sin done in ignorance; 26 and it shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and the foreigner who stays among them, since all the people were in ignorance.

8 “And when you prepare an ox as a burnt offering, or as a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings to the LORD, 9 then he must bring with the ox a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with half a hin of oil. 10 And you shall bring as a drink offering half a hin of wine, as an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma to the LORD. 11 This is the way it must be done for one ox, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a young goat. 12 You shall prepare them according to the number of offerings; so do for each one in accordance with their number.

13 “Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way, when presenting an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma to the LORD. 14 And throughout your generations, if a foreigner is staying with you, or anyone else is among you, and presents an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma to the LORD, he must do just as you do. 15 One ordinance is to be for both you of the congregation, and for the foreigner who is staying with you, a permanent ordinance throughout your generations. Before the LORD the foreigner is to be just as you are. 16 The same law and the same custom shall be for you, and for the foreigner who is staying with you.”

27 “And if any person sins through ignorance, then he shall bring a female goat a year old as a sin offering. 28 And the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins in ignorance, when he sins in ignorance against the LORD, making atonement for him so that he can be forgiven him. 29 For the one who sins in ignorance you shall have the same law both for him who is born among the children of Israel, and for the foreigner who stays among them.

30 “But the person who commits sin defiantly, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, is blaspheming the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 He must definitely be cut off, because he has rejected the word of the LORD, and has broken his commandment. His guilt will be on him.”

17 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land where I will take you, 19 it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a lifted up offering to the LORD. 20 You shall offer a cake from the first of your dough as a lifted up offering. You shall lift it up just as you do the lifted up offering from the threshing floor. 21 Throughout your generations you shall present to the LORD a lifted up offering from the first of your dough.

32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to the whole congregation. 34 And they put him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.

22 “And if you unknowingly failed, and have not obeyed all these commands which the LORD has spoken to Moses, 23 all that the LORD has

35 And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall

15:8 “Peace offering” –Lev 3:1. 15:15 9:14; Lev 24:22. 15:20 Ex 34:26; Lev 23:14. 15:22-29 Unintentional sin is still sin. It does harm to people, it is an affront to God’s holiness, and it requires atonement (Lev 4:2; Ps 19:12,13). 15:30,31 Sins done in arrogance and rebellion are a different matter. Those who do them blaspheme God and despise His word. They must be severely punished to show God’s wrath against sin and to show there can be no blessing of God when such things are permitted. The Lord Jesus said that all sin and blasphemy could be forgiven

men (except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit – Matt 12:31). Yes, but there will be very serious consequences in this life to the Christian who commits presumptuous sins (1 Cor 5:1-5; 11:29,30). 15:32-36 A man merely gathers a few sticks on the sabbath and so must die a cruel death. Was this justice? Yes it was, for God Himself commanded it. The people had just been warned about presumptuous sins. This man had not “merely” gathered a few sticks on the sabbath. He had openly defied God and despised His word (Ex 20:9-11). That is why he had to die. God set him forth as an example of what should happen

NUMBERS 15:36 196

surely be put to death. The whole congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And the whole congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

much on yourselves; for the whole congregation is holy, each one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?”

4 And when Moses heard this, he prostrated himself, 5 and he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy, and will have that one come near him; the one he chooses he will have come near him. 6 Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all his company, 7 and put fire in them, and put incense in them in the presence of the LORD tomorrow; and the man whom the LORD chooses, he is the one who is holy. You sons of Levi take too much on yourselves.”

37 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them to make for themselves tassels on the hems of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they put a blue cord on the tassels on the hems. 39 And it will be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them, and not follow your own heart and your own eyes, in accordance with which you have been prostituting yourselves, 40 so that you may remember to obey all my commandments, and to be holy for your God. 41 I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD your God.”

8 And Moses said to Korah, “Now listen, you sons of Levi. 9 Does it seem just a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them? 10 And he has brought you near to him, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you; and do you seek the priesthood also? 11 This is why both you and all your company have joined together against the LORD. Who is Aaron, that you complain against him?”

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men, 2 and rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the assembly, wellknown in the congregation, men of reputation, 3 and they joined together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too

12 And Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come.

to everyone who defiantly, arrogantly disobeys the Word of God. The law justly condemns all who disobey it. The reason for the law’s existence is not to show mercy, and, in fact, it does not do so. Since we are all sinners (that is, breakers of God’s law) we all deserve to die (Rom 3:19; Gal 3:1014). By such examples as the incident in this chapter the law teaches us to come to Christ for mercy and grace (Gal 3:24). It teaches us how much we need the Gospel of God. Without it we would all be dead and in hell. Note on law at Ex 19:21-25. 15:37-41 “Tassels. . . remember” – since sin is so powerful in man’s nature, and since the temptation to follow their “own heart and eyes” was so great, they needed constant reminders to obey God. Of course, the hypocrites, following still their own heart and eyes, perverted this good use and tried to make it a mark of their own righteousness before men (Matt 23:5). 16:1,2 This was a very serious rebellion against Moses, referred to several times in the Bible (26:9,10; 27:3; Deut 11:6; Ps 106:17; Jude 11). Rebellion against Moses, God’s appointed leader, was the same as rebellion against God Himself. Note at 12:1,2. The rebellion was from two tribes, Levi and Reuben, and was against both the religious and administrative leadership of Moses. Korah was a first cousin of Moses

and Aaron (Ex 6:18-21). 16:3 We often accuse others of what we ourselves do or want to do (Rom 2:1-3). It is true that in some ways all of God’s people are equal in His sight (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11). But it is also true that God has appointed leaders and teachers for His people’s good (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:1113), and we should listen to them as long as they teach the Word of God and lead people according to it. In this regard we should realize also that no one on earth in this age of grace and the church has the same God-given authority Moses had. Christ alone is the head of the Church, and Moses is a type of Him. All that Moses was to Israel, that Christ is to His Church and far more than that (Heb 3:1-6). 16:5 Ps 65:4. 16:9-11 Rejecting the place of service God has appointed for us is sin against God. Desiring bigness and pre-eminence and someone else’s place of service is rebellion and wickedness. Their rebellion was actually against God, not merely against Aaron. Note at Num 12:2. 16:12,13 In their eyes Egypt, a land of bondage and affliction for them all, has become a land flowing with milk and honey! See 11:18 also. How perverted were the minds of these rebels! See Isa 5:20. And how perverted the thoughts of Christians who

197 NUMBERS 16:38

13 Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Will you also make yourself a prince over us? 14 What is more, you have not brought us into a land that flows with milk and honey, or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come!”

Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Please move away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything of theirs, so that you will not be consumed in all their sins.” 27 So on every side they got away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children with them.

15 And Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Do not have regard for their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I harmed one of them.” 16 And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow you and all your company be in the LORD’s presence, you and they and Aaron.

28 And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things; they have not come from my own heart. 29 If these men die like all men die, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30 But if the LORD does a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up, with all that they have, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”

17 “And each man is to take his censer, and put incense in it, and each man is to bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each of you bring his censer.” 18 And each of them took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah gathered the whole congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.

31 And it came about when he had finished speaking all these words, that the ground under them split apart, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all Korah’s men and all their goods. 33 They, and everything they had, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them; and they perished from the congregation. 34 And at their cries all the people of Israel who had been around them fled. For they said, “The earth may swallow us up too.”

20 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from this congregation, so that I may put an end to them immediately.”

22 And they prostrated themselves, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, if one man sins will you be angry with the whole congregation?”

35 And a fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense. 36 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to pick up the censers from the burned remains, and scatter the burning coals over there; 38 for the censers of these sinners against their own souls are

23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25 And Moses got up and went to Dathan and

of one person can bring guilt on a whole people (Josh 7:1,11; Rom 5:18,19). But in this case, judging from v 19, it seems the whole congregation sided with these rebels. 16:26 Gen 19:15,17; Rev 18:4,5. 16:28-30 God Himself reveals His appointed leaders and gives proof of their calling and position. Compare John 5:31,32,36; Acts 2:22; 2 Cor 12:12. “Pit” (vs 30,33) – in Hebrew Sheol. See the note at Gen 37:35. 16:32 The sons of Korah did not die with them (26:11; Deut 24:16). Eleven of the psalms were written by (or for) the descendants of Korah – 42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, 88. 16:35 11:1-3; 26:10; Heb 12:29. Note at Lev 10:1,2. 16:36-38 Consider this. Though offered by sinful men in a sinful rebellion they were still offered to God and so became holy! Can we then doubt that what we offer Him in sincerity of heart He accepts? (Rom 12:1,2).

look back to the sinful world and long for its pleasures and are tempted to think it is a wonderful place! But the world is a place of hate for the truth (John 15:18), sin (John 16:8), tribulation (John 16:33), guilt (Rom 3:19), ignorance (1 Cor 1:21), blindness (2 Cor 4:4), bondage to Satan (Eph 2:2), darkness (Eph 6:12), corruption (2 Pet 1:4), lust and pride (1 John 2:16). 16:14 It was the unbelief of people like Dathan and Abiram which made it impossible for Moses to lead them to Canaan (14:2). Now they put the blame on him! Such people are well described in Jude 15,16.

“Put out the eyes of” – an idiom probably meaning “make slaves of” or “deceive.” 16:21 14:11,12; Ex 32:9,10. 16:22 “All flesh” – notice the name of God given here. Jehovah God is the God for all mankind, not a tribal deity, not the God of the one nation of Israel only.

“Sins” – compare Gen 18:23-25. The sin

NUMBERS 16:39 198

holy. Let them be made into hammered sheets as a plating for the altar. For since they offered them in the presence of the LORD, they are hallowed. And they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

tabernacle of the congregation; and the plague stopped.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and take from each of them a rod for the households of their fathers, that is from each of their leaders for the households of their fathers, a total of twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. 3 And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi; for there is to be one rod for each head of the households of their fathers. 4 And you shall put them in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose, will sprout; and I will rid myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, with which they grumble against you.”

39 And Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and hammered them out as a plating for the altar, 40 to be a reminder to the children of Israel, that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should approach to offer incense in the LORD’s presence, so that he does not become like Korah and his company. He did this just as the LORD had told him through Moses.

41 But the next day the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people.”

42 And it came about while the congregation had joined together against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation, and saw that the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tabernacle of the congregation. 44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from this congregation, so that I can consume them immediately.” And they prostrated themselves.

6 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader for their fathers’ households, twelve rods. And Aaron’s rod was among their rods. 7 And Moses put the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of testimony.

8 And it happened on the next day, when Moses went into the tabernacle of testimony, he saw that the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and budded and produced blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.

46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer, and put fire in it from the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them, for anger has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun.” 47 And Aaron took the censer as Moses commanded, and ran into the middle of the congregation, and saw that the plague had begun among the people; and he put on incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague stopped. 49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died because of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the

10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod again in front of the testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels; and you shall completely take away their complaints from my presence so that they do not die.” 11 And Moses did so. He did just as the LORD commanded him.

12 And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Look, we are dying! We are destroyed! We’re all destroyed! 13 Anyone who comes even near the tabernacle of the LORD dies. Will death consume us all?”

16:41-45 They forgot their fear (v 34), and once more complained and foolishly and unjustly accused Aaron and Moses. The result is the same as on previous such occasions – a display of God’s holy anger against their sin. 16:46-50 The high priest of Israel stood between the dead and the living and made atonement for them. (Note on atonement at Ex 29:33). This is a beautiful picture of Christ as High Priest who by His prayers saves His people from God’s wrath against their sins (Rom 5:9,10; Heb 7:25; 1 John 2:1). Notes on God’s wrath at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7,11. 17:1-11 Note at 16:28-30. God gives further evidence that Aaron is His chosen

priest. God’s object is to keep the people from grumbling about it any more so they would not die (v 10). Aaron’s rod signified his position as priest. Aaron himself signifies the Lord Jesus as High Priest (note at Ex 28:9-14). 17:12,13 The death of the 250 by fire from God (16:35) left the people fearful and perplexed. So in the next chapter God sets forth again the clear duties of the priests and Levites so there would no longer be “wrath on the sons of Israel” (18:5). God’s work must be done in God’s way by the people God has chosen. But, alas, many think they are doing God’s work when God has not called them or sent them (Jer 14:14).

199 NUMBERS 18:24

And the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s household with you will bear the guilt of any sins against the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will bear the guilt of any failure in your priesthood. 2 And bring with you your brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may join you, and serve with you. But you and your sons with you shall minister before the tabernacle of testimony. 3 And they are to wait on the duties you assign, the duties of the whole tabernacle, except that they shall not come near the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, so that neither they nor you die. 4 And they shall join you, and wait on the duties of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle, but an outsider must not come near you.

forever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

12 “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, their firstfruits which they shall offer to the LORD, I have given them to you. 13 And whatever ripens first in the land which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of it.

14 “Everything devoted to the LORD in Israel shall be yours. 15 Every first issue of the womb, of everything that has flesh, which they bring to the LORD, whether man or animal, shall be yours. However you must redeem the firstborn of man, also you must redeem the firstborn of unclean beasts. 16 And you must redeem those that are to be redeemed from a month old, according to your evaluation of five shekels of silver according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs.

5 “And you shall keep the responsibilities of the sanctuary, and the responsibilities of the altar, so that there be no more anger on the children of Israel. 6 And I, see, I myself, have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are given as a gift to you, for the LORD, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 Therefore you and your sons with you shall serve as priests in everything relating to the altar and inside the veil, and you shall serve. I have given your service in the priesthood as a gift; and the outsider who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

17 “But you are not to redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat as an offering made by fire, a fragrant aroma to the LORD. 18 And their meat will belong to you, just as the wave breast and the right shoulder are yours. 19 All the lifted up offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD I have given to you and to your sons and your daughters with you, by a statute forever. This is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and with your offspring also.”

8 And the LORD spoke to Aaron, “See, I have also put you in charge of my lifted up offerings of all the consecrated things of the children of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons as an anointed portion by an ordinance forever. 9 This shall be yours from the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, that is, every grain offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they offer to me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. 10 You shall eat them in a very holy place; every male shall eat it; it shall be holy for you.

20 And the LORD spoke to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any share among them. I am your share and your inheritance among the children of Israel.

21 “And, see, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance, for the work which they perform in the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 22 From now on the children of Israel must not come near the tabernacle of the congregation, so that they will not bear guilt and die. 23 But the Levites shall perform the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations: they are to have no inheritance among the children of Israel. 24 But the tithes of the

11 “And this is yours: the lifted up offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, by a statute

18:1-7 The work and responsibility of the priesthood was Aaron’s and his descendants. The Levites were to be assistants in the work outside, in the courtyard of the tabernacle. 18:3 4:15-20; 1:51; 18:7. 18:6 3:9,12,45. 18:7 “Gift” – it was a great privilege to be God’s priests. It was all of God’s grace (18:20; Deut 18:2; 1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6).

18:8-32 The priests and Levites were to be supported by the offerings and tithes of the people they served. This is God’s usual way of providing for His servants (Lev 7:14; Num 7:4,5). The priests and Levites were to recognize that these were holy gifts of God and be careful how they used them. The priests had their inheritance in God, not in land and property. In other words, they had the greatest inheritance of all the people.

NUMBERS 18:25 200

children of Israel, which they offer as a lifted up offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore I said to them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the children of Israel.’”

dung. 6 And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet and throw it into the middle of the burning of the heifer. 7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterwards come into the camp; and the priest shall be unclean until evening. 8 And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening.

25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Speak to the Levites, and tell them this: When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer a lifted up offering from it for the LORD, a tenth of the tithe. 27 And this lifted up offering of yours will be put to your account as if it were the grain of the threshing floor, and the fulness of the winepress. 28 Also, in the same way, you shall offer a lifted up offering to the LORD from all your tithes, which you receive from the children of Israel; and from it you shall give the LORD’s lifted up offering to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all your gifts you shall offer each lifted up offering of the LORD from all the best of it, from the most holy part of it.

9 “And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them up outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel as a water to remove uncleanness. It is a purification for sin. 10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. This shall be a statute forever for the children of Israel, and for the foreigner who is staying among them.

11 “Anyone who touches the dead body of any person will be unclean for seven days. 12 He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he will not be clean. 13 Whoever touches the dead body of any dead person and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. And that person shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water to remove uncleanness was not sprinkled on him, he will be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.

30 “Therefore you shall say to them, When you have presented from it the best of it, then it shall be put to the account of the Levites just as the increase of the threshing floor, and the increase of the winepress. 31 And you shall eat it any place, you and your households; for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. 32 And you shall bear no guilt for it, when you have presented from it the best of it. But you shall not defile the holy things of the children of Israel, so that you do not die.”

14 “This is the law, when a person dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent, will be unclean for seven days. 15 And every open utensil that has no cover fastened on it will be unclean.

And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying, Tell the children of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which is no blemish, and on which a yoke never came. 3 You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, so that he can take it outside the camp; and there someone is to kill it in his presence. 4 And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood on his finger, and sprinkle its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of the congregation. 5 And someone is to burn the heifer in his presence. He shall burn its skin and its flesh and its blood, with its

16 “And whoever touches someone who has been killed by a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.

17 “And as to the unclean person, they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and put running water with it in a container. 18 And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, and on all the furnishings, and on the persons who were

cleansed away by the water of purification, part of which came from a sacrifice. If a person brought his defilement into the camp he must be cut off (Lev 15:31; 20:3). The sin offering signifies Christ (Lev 4:3), the water signifies the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. That which spoke of the defilement of sin had to be cleansed with animal sacrifices. Sin itself, and death the fruit of sin, defile the heart and soul and life of man. They must be cleansed away by the sacrifice of Christ Himself and by the Spirit

They signify believers in Christ who have their inheritance in Christ and not in this world (Eph 1:10-14; Col 1:12; 3:24; Heb 13:14; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 21:7). 18:16 “Five shekels” – about 55 grams. 19:2 Lev 22:20-25. 19:3 Lev 4:11,12,21; Heb 13:11-13. 19:5 Ex 29:14; Lev 4:11,12. 19:7 Lev 16:26,28; 22:6. 19:9 8:7; 31:23. 19:11 5:2; 6:6. Note at Lev 21:1. 19:12,13 The defilement of death must be

201 NUMBERS 20:12

there, and on the one who touched a bone, or one killed, or a dead person, or a grave. 19 And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening. 20 But as for the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from the congregation, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water that removes uncleanness has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

4 Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die here? 5 And why have you made us come out of Egypt, to bring us into this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink.”

6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they prostrated themselves; and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod, and gather the assembly together, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes; and it will give its water; and you will bring water for them out of the rock. In this way you shall give the congregation and their animals water to drink.”

21 “And it is to be a permanent statute to them, that the one who sprinkles the water that removes uncleanness shall wash his clothes; and the one who touches the water that removes uncleanness will be unclean until evening. 22 And whatever the unclean person touches will be unclean; and the person who touches it will be unclean until evening.”

9 And Moses took the rod from the presence of the LORD, just as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, “Now listen, you rebels! Do we have to bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and also their animals.

Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the desert of Zin in the first month. And the people stayed in Kadesh, and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

2 And there was no water for the congregation; and they joined together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people quarreled with Moses, and spoke, saying, “If only we had died when our brethren died in the LORD’s presence!

12 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe me so as to show me as holy in the eyes of the children of Israel, you will

and Word of God. 19:19 This ordinance of the ashes of the heifer is referred to in Heb 9:13,14 and compared with Christ’s sacrifice of Himself which cleanses the conscience. The way the spiritual meaning is fulfilled appears in Heb 10:22. 20:2 Ex 17:1. 20:3-5 See 14:2,3; 16:31-35,49; Ex 17:2. “You brought” – God brought them into the desert, not Moses. It was their unbelief, not Moses, that kept them in the desert. It is easier to blame others than oneself. 20:6 14:5. 20:8 Ex 4:17,20; 17:5,6. The rock signifies Christ (1 Cor 10:4). 20:10 Ps 106:33. Did Moses forget for the moment that he was a mere sinful man even as they were? 20:11 The rock had already been struck (Ex 17:6), and must not be struck again. The rock speaks of Christ (note at Ex 17:6). Christ was struck for sinners once and for all (Isa 53:4; Heb 10:10,14; 1 Pet 3:18), never to be struck again. Here Moses in a moment of pride and anger disobeys God, and sins. Even the greatest leaders and saints have sin in them. It must be conquered and subdued or it can break out and cause great harm (Isa 64:6; Jer 17:9; Rom 7:18,21; Jam 3:2; 1 John 1:8. See what Moses himself wrote in Ps 90:7-9).

20:12 In this case Moses did not believe God, did not treat God as holy, and rebelled against God’s instruction (v 24). So the one through whom the law was given stands condemned by the law he gave, and was not able to enter the promised land (compare Ps 143:2; Rom 3:20). Of course this does not mean that he could not enter heaven as a redeemed man.

The picture, the typology here is very fitting. Canaan signifies life in the heavenly places in Christ (note at Num 14:45. See also Eph 1:3; 2:6; 6:12). Moses signifies the law, and the law can never bring us into the blessings of Christ (Rom 3:19,20; 8:3; Gal 2:19; 3:13,14). It brings condemnation and a curse on us because we fail to keep it. It can lead people to the borders of Canaan but cannot take them in (Gal 3:24,25). After the death of Moses, Joshua led the people into Canaan. Joshua means “Jehovah is salvation.” The Greek form of the name is Jesus. It appears that the believer in Christ is in three places at once. Physically he is in the world (Egypt); spiritually he is in Canaan (heavenly places in Christ), experientially many times he is in the wilderness being tempted and tried and going as a pilgrim from the world to heaven. The author of these notes thinks the believer is in Romans chapters 7 and 8 at the same time. See notes at Num 14:45;

NUMBERS 20:13 202

not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron will be gathered to his ancestors and die there.”

13 This is the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled with the LORD, and he showed himself holy among them.

27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded. And they went up on mount Hor in the sight of the whole congregation. 28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 And when the whole congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they, the whole house of Israel, mourned for Aaron for thirty days.

14 And from Kadesh Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: “Your brother Israel says this: You know all the hardship that has come to us. 15 Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we have lived in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. 16 And when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and has brought us out of Egypt. And, see, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through the fields or through the vineyards, and we will not drink water from the wells. We will travel on the king’s highway, not turning to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

And when king Arad the Canaanite, who lived in the south, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. 2 And Israel made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you completely deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 And the LORD listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And he called the name of the place Hormah.

18 And Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land. If you do I will come out against you with the sword.”

19 And the children of Israel said to him, “We will go on the highway, and if I and my cattle drink your water, then I will pay for it. I will simply go through on foot, nothing else.”

4 And they set out from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom; and the mind of the people was very vexed on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water, and our soul loathes this miserable food.”

20 And he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand.

21 So Edom refused to give Israel permission to travel through its territory. Therefore Israel turned away from him.

6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, so that he will take away the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.

22 And the children of Israel, the whole congregation, set out from Kadesh, and came to mount Hor. 23 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24 “Aaron is to be gathered to his people; for he will not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to mount Hor. 26 And strip Aaron of his garments,

8 And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and put it up on a pole. And it will come about that anyone who is bitten will live when he looks at it.” 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and it happened that if a

Ex 15:27; Deut 1:19. 20:13 “Meribah” means “quarreling.” 20:14 It was time to start moving toward the eastern boundary of Canaan.

21:4 Deut 2:8. Impatience can be one cause of grievous sin (Israel – Ex 32:1; Moses – Num 20:10,11; Saul – 1 Sam 13:8-13. See also Ps 37:7,8; Jam 1:2-4). 21:5 11:4-6; 14:2,3; 16:41; 20:2-5. In the desert the Israelites complained about their difficulties, their food, the strength of their enemies, God’s judgments, and conditions in the desert. In other words, they complained about God’s leading for them, God’s provision for them, God’s choice of a place for them, and God’s appointed leader for them. Such complaining is a very grievous sin. 21:6-9 Sin brings judgment. Sin is like the

“Your brother” – Gen 25:24-34. 20:16 Ex 2:23; 3:7; 14:19. 20:21 Deut 2:2-6. 20:24 Verses 11,12. 20:25,26 3:4; Heb 7:23-25. 21:1-3 This was an unprovoked attack on Israel by a Canaanite king. The day had come for Israel to start destroying a very wicked people whose time of judgment had come. See notes at Gen 6:7; 15:16; Lev 18:24. “Hormah” means “destruction.”

203 NUMBERS 21:34

serpent bit anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent he lived.

from Arnon to Jabbok, as far as the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was fortified. 25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its surrounding villages. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites. He had fought against the former king of Moab and captured all his land from his hand, as far as the Arnon.

10 And the children of Israel set out and camped in Oboth. 11 And they set out from Oboth, and camped at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward sunrise. 12 They moved on from there and camped in the valley of Zared. 13 They moved on from there and camped on the other side of the Arnon river, in the wilderness that extends from the territory of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “What he did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, 15 and at the slope of the ravine that goes down to the site of Ar, and lies on the border of Moab.”

27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say,

“Come to Heshbon, let the city of Sihon

be built and established! 28 For a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places

16 And from there they went to Beer. That is the well about which the LORD spoke to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song, “Spring up, O well! Sing to it! 18 The leaders dug the well, the nobles of the people sank it with their staves at the word of the lawgiver.” And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah; 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth in the valley that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks toward Jeshimon.

of Arnon. 29 Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh. He has given his sons and his daughters

who escaped into captivity to Sihon

king of the Amorites. 30 But we have overthrown them. Heshbon is ruined as far as Dibon, and we have laid them waste as far as Nophah, which reaches to

Medeba.”

21 And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards. We will not drink the water of the wells; but we will travel by the king’s highway until we pass through your territory.”

31 So Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 And Moses sent men to spy out Jaazer, and they captured its villages, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 And they turned and ascended by way of Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.

23 But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory, but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out into the wilderness against Israel; and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land

34 And the LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites

poison of a snake. All men have been bitten by the “serpent” of Rev 12:9, and have the poison of sin in their natures and are in a state of death (Gen 2:17; 3:1-8; Eph 2:1-5). For the snake-bitten Israelites in the desert there was one and only one remedy for their condition. They had to believe what God said and look at the serpent of brass on the pole.

hears us. Simply looking in repentance and faith at Christ on the cross bearing our sins brings salvation. Salvation is by grace and received through faith (Rom 3:22-25; 10:10-13; Eph 2:8,9; Col 1:21-23). 21:14 Nothing is known about this book, and the Hebrew of verses 14,15 is somewhat obscure in meaning. 21:16 God knew their need and would supply it, so there was never a reason for them to complain (compare Phil 4:19). 21:21 The Amorites were a people whose sin was now full and ripe for God’s judgment (Gen 15:16; Ex 23:23; note at Gen 6:7). 21:24,25 Amos 2:9,10. 21:29 “Chemosh” – a principal god of the Moabites, pronounced Keymosh. 21:34 Deut 3:2; 31:8; Josh 2:9; Jam 4:7.

All this speaks of God’s remedy for sin through Christ, as He Himself said (see John 3:14,15). Our sins were laid on Him and he was “made sin” for us (Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 5:21). The remedy in the desert was revealed to the Israelites when they confessed their sin and cried for help (v 7). So it will be now with God’s remedy in Christ for our sin. When we recognize our sin and our need and call to God for salvation He

NUMBERS 21:35 204

who lived at Heshbon.”

and I will bring word back to you as the LORD speaks to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

35 So they struck him down along with his sons, and all his people, until there was none of his left alive; and they took possession of his land.

9 And God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?”

And the children of Israel set out, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan opposite Jericho.

10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent men to me, saying, 11 ‘Lo and behold, a people has come out of Egypt, which covers the surface of the earth. Come now, curse them for me. If you come perhaps I will be able to overcome them and drive them out.’”

2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was very much afraid of the people, because they were so many, and Moab was filled with dread because of the children of Israel.

12 And God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.”

4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up everything that is around us like an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 So he sent messengers to summon Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the river in the land of the children of his people, saying, “Lo and behold, a people has come out from Egypt. See, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. 6 Therefore, please come now and curse this people for me; for they are too strong for me. If you come perhaps I can succeed in striking them down and driving them out of the land. For I know that the one whom you bless is blessed and the one whom you curse is cursed.”

13 And Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go to your country, for the LORD refuses to give me permission to go with you.”

14 And the leaders of Moab rose up and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

15 And Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more honoured than they. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak the son of Zippor says, “Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; 17 for I will greatly honour you, and will do whatever you say to me. So please come, curse this people for me.”

7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the fee for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam, and told him Balak’s words.

18 And Balaam answered and said to Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more. 19 Therefore you also please stay here tonight, and I will

8 And he said to them, “Spend the night here,

21:35 The victory over these two mighty kings, Sihon and Og, was much celebrated and remembered in Israel (Deut 31:3-6; Neh 9:22; Ps 135:10-12; 136:18-20). This event struck fear into the hearts of the people living in Canaan (Josh 2:10; 9:10). 22:1-7 The Moabites were descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew (Gen 19:37). Their country was east of the southern part of Canaan. Knowing how Israel had defeated Sihon and Og they were very much afraid to come against them in battle. The strategy of Balak their king was this: he wanted the curse of God to come on them so that God would no longer give them victory in battle. The Midianites joined with him in this plot and sent for Balaam to Aram (23:7 – also called Mesopotamia. The river in v 5 is the Euphrates). Balaam must have had a great reputation, judging from Balak’s words in v 6. He was familiar with the name Jehovah – Num 22:8; 23:8,12 (LORD is Jehovah in Hebrew). He was a prophet and received messages from God and delivered them. Chapters 23 and 24 contain true prophecies. (See note on prophet at Gen 20:7; on prophecy at Num 11:25.)

But Balaam was a bad man who loved the reward that Balak offered him and so he taught Balak a way to corrupt the children of Israel. This way was to tempt the Israelite men with the women of Midian and Moab (25:1-3; 31:15). Balaam was killed later in a battle against Israel (31:8). In the New Testament Balaam is condemned in three places (2 Pet 2:15,16; Jude 11; Rev 2:14). Like so many today who profess to be servants of God he loved money more than righteousness, truth, or God. 22:8-13 So far Balaam does well. He clearly knows God’s commands not to go and not to curse Israel, and he seems fully obedient. 22:14-17 What are all the honors men can give compared to the honors God gives (John 12:26). 22:18 Verse 38; 24:13. Balaam was sincere in this, it seems. He had his reputation as a prophet to consider. Also he would not want God to stop giving him messages to deliver. 22:19 Here Balaam shows his weakness for the first time. He knew God’s command not to go (v 12). What else was there to

205 NUMBERS 22:41

find out what else the LORD will say to me.”

life to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” And he said, “No.”

20 And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but you must do according to the word which I speak to you.”

31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand. And he bowed his head, and fell prostrate on his face.

21 And Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab. 22 And God’s anger burned against him because he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned away from the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back onto the road.

32 And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I went out to oppose you, because your way is contrary to me. 33 And the donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would surely have killed you by now, and preserved her life.”

34 And Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned; for I did not know that you were standing in the road opposing me. Therefore, now, if you are displeased, I will go back again.”

24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path in the vineyards, with a wall on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; and he struck her again.

35 And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but you must speak only the word that I speak to you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s princes.

36 And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab which was on the border of Arnon, which was at the most distant part of the border. 37 And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able to honour you greatly?”

26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with a staff. 28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now do I have any power at all to say anything? I will speak the word that God puts in my mouth.”

29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish there was a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now!”

39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam, and to the leaders who were with him. 41 And it came about

30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden your whole

find out? No doubt he was hoping God would change His mind, so he could go and collect the reward (2 Pet 2:15; he was not of the same mind and character as Daniel – Dan 5:17). Once we know God’s will about something it will be dangerous for us if we try to get God to change His instructions. 22:20 God saw the secret desire of Balaam’s heart, his eagerness to get different instructions, and gave him permission to go. God sometimes allows men to follow the evil desire of their hearts (Ps 18:25,26; 81:12; Acts 7:42; Rom 1:28; Job 5:13). It would have been much better for Balaam if he had obeyed the first command of God and stayed home. Following the lure of earthly reward he now heads for shame, dishonor and death. 22:22 God was angry at what he saw in Balaam’s heart which made his behavior perverse (v 32). Note on angels at Gen 16:7. 22:28 2 Pet 2:16. 22:32 Here the angel of the LORD clearly

states that Balaam’s behavior is not right and that God was against him. The meaning of the Hebrew of the last phrase of this verse is uncertain. It could also be translated “your way is perverse before me.” In 2 Peter 2:16, Peter, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes Balaam’s behavior as “madness”. He was behaving like a crazy man. Yes indeed, is it not madness to go on in a way that is not God’s way for the sake of financial benefits? 22:34 In his heart Balaam still wanted to go to Balak. His confession and seeming repentance were not deep and genuine. This fact is revealed by what he later did (31:16; Rev 2:14). True repentance leads to righteous conduct. Compare 2 Cor 7:10,11. 22:35 The angel put great fear into the heart of Balaam so that he would speak only God’s message. Then he gave him permission to go on to Balak. 22:41 Baal was one of the false gods of the nations in that time. Note at Jud 2:11.

NUMBERS 23:1 206

the next day that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to the high places of Baal, so that there he might see the distant part of the people.

11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and, look, you have positively blessed them.”

12 And he answered and said, “Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?”

And Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven oxen and seven rams for me.” 2 And Balak did as Balaam said; and on each altar Balak and Balaam offered an ox and a ram. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. And I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” And he went to a high place.

13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place. You can see them from there, but only the most distant part of them, but you won’t see all of them. So curse them for me from there.” 14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered an ox and a ram on each altar. 15 And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.”

4 And God met Balaam, and Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered an ox and a ram.”

16 And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and say this.”

5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and tell him this.”

6 And he returned to him and saw him and all the leaders of Moab standing by burnt sacrifice. 7 And Balaam began his poetic utterance, and said,

17 And he came to him and saw him, and the leaders of Moab with him, standing by his burnt offering. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD said?”

18 And he began his poetic utterance, and said,

“Balak the king of Moab has brought

me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east,

“Rise up, Balak, and listen; hear me, you son of Zippor. 19 God is not a man, that he should lie; nor a son of man, that he should repent. Will he say something, and not do it? Or speak, and not make it stand? 20 Look, I have received a command to bless; and he has blessed; and I cannot turn it away. 21 He has seen no evil in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. 22 God brought them out of Egypt. He is like the horns of a wild ox for

saying, ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

and come, denounce Israel.’ 8 How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed? Or how shall I denounce those whom

the LORD has not denounced? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I look at him. See, the people will live alone, and will not be reckoned among the

nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous,

them. 23 Surely there is no sorcery against Jacob,

and let my end be like his!”

23:13 Balak in his superstitious ignorance thought a change of place might bring a change of message (v 28). 23:19 1 Sam 15:29; Isa 40:8; 55:11. 23:20 Isa 43:13. 23:21 This can hardly refer to what God saw in their hearts, or their fallen nature, or their sinful rebellion and complaining. It refers to their standing with Him, His separation of them to be a holy people. Now the believer has by faith a perfect righteousness – the righteousness of Christ Himself (1 Cor 1:30; Phil 3:9), and in this righteousness there is no taint of evil. 23:23 22:7. Balaam is telling Balak that it is a waste of time and effort to use mantras against God’s people. The mighty God was

23:4,5 God had decided to use this prophet for His own purpose and so put His message in his mouth (v 16. Compare Deut 18:18; Isa 51:16; Jer 1:9). 23:7 “Poetic utterance” – the Hebrew means “parable”, “saying”, “proverb”, or a “song” or “poem.” The word was also used to indicate a prophecy in poetic form. 23:8 22:12. 23:9 Ex 19:4-6; Deut 7:6. 23:10 “Israel” – Gen 13:16; 28:14. “Like his” – he wanted to die the death of the righteous, but he did not want to live the life of the righteous. The one is impossible without the other. So Balaam’s end was miserable; he was killed fighting God’s people (31:7,8).

207 NUMBERS 24:17

nor is there any divination against

7 Water will flow from his buckets, and his descendants will be by many

Israel. Now it is to be said of Jacob and Israel,

waters, and his king will be higher than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted. 8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he is like the horns of a wild ox

‘What God has done!’ 24 Look, the people will rise up like a great lion, and raise himself like a young lion. He will not lie down until he eats

to him. He will devour the nations who are his

the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”

enemies, and will break their bones, and pierce them with his arrows. 9 He crouched; he lay down like a lion, like a great lion. Who will stir him up? Blessed is anyone who blesses you, and cursed is anyone who curses you.”

25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them at all, or bless them at all!”

26 But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying that I must do whatever the LORD says?”

27 And Balak said to Balaam, “Please come; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them for me from there.” 28 And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor which faces Jeshimon.

10 And Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse mine enemies, and, see, you have positively blessed them these three times. 11 So now, quick, be off to your own place. I said I would greatly honour you, but, see, the LORD has kept you from honour.”

29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven oxen and seven rams for me here.” 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered an ox and a ram on each altar.

12 And Balaam said to Balak, “And did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me and say, 13 even if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the command of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own accord, but I will speak what the LORD says? 14 And now, look, I am going to my people, so come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in days after these.”

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to seek for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3 And he began his poetic utterance and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eyes are

15 And he began his poetic utterance and said,

open, 4 the oracle of him who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eyes are

open, 16 the oracle of the one who heard the words of God and understands the knowledge of the

falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel! 6 Like valleys they are spread out, like gardens by the river’s side, like aloe trees planted by the LORD and like cedars beside the waters.

Most High, who saw the vision of the Almighty,

falling into a trance,

but having his eyes open: 17 I will look at him, but not now; I will see him, but not near.

with them. See Rom 8:31; 1 John 4:4. 23:26 22:18. 24:1 23:23; Deut 18:10-12; Josh 13:22. 24:2 The Spirit of God may use anyone to speak God’s message, even Balaam, even Saul (1 Sam 10:10,11), even the evil Caiaphas (John 11:49-51). 24:3,4 Balaam had such experiences, but still became a Judas.

Gen 17:1. 24:7 Agag was probably the name or title of a succession of kings of the Amalekites (v 20). 24:9 Gen 12:3; 27:29. 24:17-19 This may refer to David who became king of Israel many years later, or it may refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, David’s son according to His human nature. David conquered both Moab and Seir (Edom) and

“Almighty” – in Hebrew “Shaddai” –

NUMBERS 24:18 208

A Star will come out of Jacob, and a Sceptre will rise out of Israel and will strike the sides of Moab, and beat down all the children of Sheth. 18 And Edom will be a possession, and Seir, his enemy, will be a possession; and Israel will do valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob will come the one who will have dominion, and destroy the survivors from the city.”

23 And he began his poetic utterance and said,

“Ah, who will live when God does this! 24 And ships will come from the coast of Kittim, and will afflict Asshur, and afflict Eber; and he also will perish for ever.”

25 And Balaam got up, and proceeded to return to his own place. And Balak also went his way.

20 And when he looked at Amalek, he began his poetic utterance and said,

And Israel stayed in Shittim, and the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab. 2 And those women called the people to the sacrifices for their gods; and the people ate them, and bowed down to their gods. 3 And Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor; and the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.

“Amalek was the first of the nations;

but his end will be destruction.”

21 And he looked at the Kenites, and began his poetic utterance and said,

“Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set on a rock. 22 However the Kenites will be ruined. How long before Asshur carries you

4 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them in the LORD’s presence, in the sunlight, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may be turned away from Israel.”

away captive?”

1:18; 2:5; Rev 6:15-17. The Bible speaks of God’s anger and wrath hundreds of times. The one true God has an infinite love for goodness, truth, justice, righteousness and holiness. So of course the opposite of these things calls forth His anger. God’s anger comes out of His perfectly holy nature, which hates evil.

fulfilled what Balaam predicted here (2 Sam 8:2,14). Christ, of course, in a greater measure than David was a star and scepter and will be the conqueror of the whole earth (Gen 49:10; Isa 9:6,7; Matt 2:2; Luke 1:30-33; Heb 1:8; Rev 19:11-16). The meaning of the last sentence of v 17 in Hebrew is obscure and may be translated in different ways (“and beat down all the noisy boasters” or “beat down all the sons of strife”). 24:20 “First of the nations” may possibly mean first to war against Israel when they came from Egypt. Amalek was not at all the first nation in human history. Amalek the ancestor of the Amalekites was the grandson of Esau (Gen 36:12). Balaam is speaking about tribes and peoples (Moab, Edom, Amalek, Kenites) which lived in areas just east and south of the Dead sea. 24:21,22 The Kenites were a part of the Midianite people (Ex 3:1; Jud 1:16; 4:11). The Midianites were descended from Abraham by his second wife Keturah (Gen 25:1,2). 24:25 “Return to his own place” – later Balaam came back (31:7,8). Deut 23:5 reveals that Balaam did his best to curse Israel in spite of God’s command not to do so (22:12). But when God has determined to bless individuals or a nation no one can curse them. Indeed all attempts at cursing them will turn into blessings. See note at Gen 50:20. 25:1,2 This was a result of Balaam’s secret counsel to Balak (31:16; Rev 2:14). Sacrifice and worship to other gods was strictly forbidden to Israel (Ex 20:3; 22:20; 34:15). 25:3 “The LORD’s anger” – see notes also at Deut 4:25; Ps 90:7-11; John 3:36; Rom

Also we should understand that His anger comes out of His nature of love – love for all that is pure and true, and love for the highest good of the universe He has made. If He were not angry at all sin and wrong He would not be God. Even among men what person who loves justice is not angry at injustice? Or what person who loves kindness is not angry at cruelty? Or what person who loves truth is not angry at that which is false and deceitful? The more people love justice and kindness and truth the more they will hate their opposites. God is infinitely angry at all the sins of men because His love of holiness and righteousness and truth and goodness is also infinite.

In the light of the Bible it is clear that all of us deserve God’s anger, none of us is worthy of His love. For a list of some sins which God says make Him angry see Deut 4:25.

Some important references on God’s anger: 1:53; Ex 32:10; Lev 26:28; Deut 32:32; Josh 7:1; Jud 2:12; 2 Kings 17:18; 24:20; Ps 2:12; 7:11; 78:38,49,50; 90:7-11; Isa 5:25; 10:5; 13:9; 66:15; Jer 25:15; Nah 1:2,5; Matt 3:7; John 3:36; Rom 1:18; 2:5,8; 5:9; 9:22; Eph 2:3; 5:6; 1 Thess 1:10; Rev 6:16; 14:19; 15:1,7; 19:15. 25:4,5 In order for God’s anger to turn away, sin had to be condemned, judged, and punished.

209 NUMBERS 26:18

5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

of all the congregation of the children of Israel twenty years old and over, by their fathers’ households, everyone in Israel who is able to go to war.”

6 And one of the children of Israel appeared coming and bringing a Midianite woman to his brothers in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping in front of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up from among the congregation, took a spear in his hand, 8 went into the tent after the man of Israel, and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her stomach. So the plague on the children of Israel was stopped. 9 But twenty-four thousand died in the plague.

3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the river Jordan near Jericho, saying, 4 “Take a census of the people twenty years old and over, as the LORD commanded Moses.” And these are the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt:

5 Reuben, the eldest son of Israel; the children of Reuben: Hanoch, from whom comes the family of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 6 from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

7 These are the families of the Reubenites; and those of them who were counted were fortythree thousand seven hundred and thirty.

10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, for he was zealous for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, See, I give him my covenant of peace. 13 And he will have it, and his offspring after him, this covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.”

8 And the sons of Pallu was Eliab. 9 And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram who were of reputation in the congregation, who struggled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they struggled against the LORD; 10 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, at the time the fire consumed two hundred and fifty men; and they became a warning sign. 11 However Korah’s children did not die. 12 The sons of Simeon by their families: from Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; from Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; from Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 from Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; from Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, the one who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a leader of a chief household among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was a leader of a people, and of a chief household in Midian.

14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.

16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Trouble the Midianites, and strike them down, 18 for they troubled you with their tricks, with which they deceived you in the affair of Peor, and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite chief, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that came because of Peor.”

15 The children of Gad by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16 from Ozni, the family of the Oznites; from Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 from Arod, the family of the Arodites; from Areli, the family of the Arelites.

And this happened after the plague: the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, 2 “Take a census

18 These are the families of the children of Gad according to those of them who were counted, forty thousand five hundred.

25:6 This was a terribly presumptuous sin from a leader in Israel (v 14; 15:30,31). 25:7-13 Phinehas acted for God’s honor, punished the sin, and so turned away God’s anger. See notes at 31:2; Ex 21:23-25. He is one of many in the Bible who were zealous for God and felt keenly any affront to God’s honor (1 Sam 17:26,46,47; 1 Kings 19:10). Indeed do not all true believers experience something of this? God sees this desire for His honor in His people

and He rewards it (1 Sam 2:30). 25:16-18 31:1-12. 26:2 1:2. It was time to think about dividing Canaan among the people of Israel. So the new census (vs 52-56). 26:7 1:21. 26:10 16:32. 26:14 1:23. The tribe of Simeon had a very large reduction in numbers. Did many of them die in various plagues because of leaders like Zimri (25:9,14)? 26:18-27 11:25-31.

NUMBERS 26:19 210

19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

Eran, the family of the Eranites.

37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those of them who were counted, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph by their families.

20 And the sons of Judah by their families were: from Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; from Pharez, the family of the Pharzites; from Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

38 The sons of Benjamin by their families: from Bela, the family of the Belaites; from Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; from Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39 from Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; from Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

21 And the sons of Pharez were: from Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; from Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22 These are the families of Judah according to those of them who were counted, seventy-six thousand five hundred.

40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman; from Ard, the family of the Ardites, and from Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

23 From the sons of Issachar by their families: from Tola, the family of the Tolaites; from Pua, the family of the Punites; 24 from Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; from Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

41 These are the sons of Benjamin by their families; and those of them who were counted were forty-five thousand six hundred.

25 These are the families of Issachar according to those of them who were counted, sixty-four thousand three hundred.

42 These are the sons of Dan by their families: from Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan by their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those of them who were counted were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

26 From the sons of Zebulun by their families: from Sered, the family of the Sardites; from Elon, the family of the Elonites; from Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

44 From the children of Asher by their families: from Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; from Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; from Beriah, the family of the Beriites. 45 From the sons of Beriah: from Heber, the family of the Heberites; from Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.

27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those of them who were counted, sixty thousand five hundred.

28 The sons of Joseph by their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 From the sons of Manasseh: from Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; from Gilead comes the family of the Gileadites.

47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those of them who were counted, fifty-three thousand four hundred.

30 These are the sons of Gilead: from Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; from Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31 and from Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and from Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 and from Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and from Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, only daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

48 From the sons of Naphtali by their families; from Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; from Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 from Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; from Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50 These are the families of Naphtali by to their families; and those of them who were counted were forty-five thousand four hundred.

51 These were those of the children of Israel who were counted: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

34 These are the families of Manasseh, and those of them who were counted were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

52 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 53 “The land is to be divided among these as an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 You must give more inheritance to a larger group, and to a smaller group you must give a smaller inheritance. Each group’s inheritance is to be given

35 These are the sons of Ephraim by their families: from Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; from Becher, the family of the Bachrites; from Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: from

26:34 1:35. A large increase in number in the tribe of Manasseh. 26:37-50 1:33-43. 26:51 A reduction of 1,820 from the census taken a generation earlier. The nation did not prosper during the desert wanderings

and lost many people by plagues and rebellions (11:33,34; 14:37,45; 16:32,35,49; 25:9). Moses’ view of those years is found in Ps 90:7-9. Psalm 78:32-41 sums up that time. Yet God taught them many valuable spiritual lessons through it all (Deut 8:1-5).

211 NUMBERS 27:21

according to the number of those who were counted. 55 But the land is to be divided by lot; they shall inherit it according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. 56 Their inheritance is to be divided by lot between larger and smaller groups.”

the company of Korah, but he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Therefore give us a possession among the brothers of our father.”

57 And those of the Levites who were counted by their families are these: from Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; from Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; from Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram.

5 And Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak justly. You shall surely give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers, and you shall have the inheritance of their father pass to them.

8 “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then you shall have his inheritance pass to his daughter. 9 And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his closest relative in his family, and he shall possess it. And this is be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD commanded Moses.”

59 And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bore to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. 60 And to Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61 And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the Lord.

62 And those of them who were counted were twenty-three thousand, all males a month old or more; for they were not counted among the children of Israel, because no inheritance was given them among the children of Israel.

12 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go up on this Mount Abarim, and look at the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen it, you also will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 For in the desert of Zin you rebelled against my command to show me as holy before their eyes at the waters there, during the strife of the congregation.” (These are the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the desert of Zin.)

63 These are those who were counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of those whom Moses and Aaron the priest counted when they counted the children of Israel in the desert of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them, “They shall surely die in the desert.” And not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

15 And Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who can go out before them and can come in before them, and who can lead them out and can bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

Then the daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses. He was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not in the company of those who joined themselves together against the LORD,

18 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 and have him stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation, and give him a commission in their sight. 20 And you shall put some of your authority on him, so that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him in the LORD’s presence according to the

26:62 Deut 10:9. 26:65 14:26-35. 27:7 36:2; Josh 17:3,4. 27:12-14 See note at 20:12. 27:16,17 Moses experienced great disappointment at not being permitted to enter the promised land (Deut 3:25-27).

However he was not bitter, but still much concerned for the welfare of the people, and prayed for a successor who could lead them well. A wise and spiritual leader of God’s people will encourage the development of leaders who can serve after he is gone. 27:18 “Spirit” – God’s Spirit alone made him

NUMBERS 27:22 212

decision of Urim. At his word the people shall go out and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him, the whole congregation.”

for each lamb a tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, as a burnt offering of a soothing aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD. 14 And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for an ox, and a third of a hin for a ram, and a fourth of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year. 15 And one young goat as a sin offering is to be offered to the LORD, besides the continual burnt offering, and its drink offering.

22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him, and gave him a commission, just as the LORD commanded through Moses.

16 “And on the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover. 17 And on the fifteenth day of this month there shall be a feast; bread made without yeast shall be eaten for seven days. 18 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no type of hard work in it; 19 but you shall offer a sacrifice made by fire as a burnt offering to the LORD: two young oxen, and one ram, and seven lambs a year old. They shall be to you without blemish. 20 And their grain offering are to be of flour mixed with oil. You shall offer three tenths of an ephah for an ox, and two tenths of an ephah for a ram, 21 and offer a tenth of an ephah for each lamb, with all the seven lambs, 22 and one goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. 24 In this way you shall offer each day, for seven days, the food of the sacrifice made by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. It is to be offered besides the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Give this command to the children of Israel, and say to them, Take care to present to me my offering, my food for my sacrifices made by fire, of a soothing aroma to me, in their due season. 3 And you shall say to them, This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two lambs a year old without defect, day by day, as a continual burnt offering. 4 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at evening, 5 with a tenth of an ephah of flour as a grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. 6 This is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD. 7 And its drink offering shall be the fourth of a hin for one lamb. You shall have the strong wine poured out to the LORD in the holy place as a drink offering. 8 And you shall offer the other lamb at evening; you shall offer it as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, a sacrifice made by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

9 “And on the Sabbath day offer two lambs a year old without defect, and two tenths of an ephah of flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering. 10 This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

26 “Also on the day of first fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the LORD in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work; 27 but you shall offer the burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD, two young oxen, one ram, seven lambs a year old, 28 and their grain offering of flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each ox, two tenths of an ephah for each ram, 29 a tenth of an ephah for each lamb, with all the seven lambs; 30 and one young goat, to make atonement for you. 31 You shall offer them besides the continual

11 “And in the beginning of each of your months you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two young oxen, and one ram, seven lambs a year old without defect, 12 and three tenths of an ephah of flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each ox, and two tenths of an ephah of flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each ram, 13 and

a proper leader. 27:23 Deut 1:7,8,23; Josh 1:1,2. 28:1-15 For meanings of the offerings spoken in these verses see notes on the first chapters of Leviticus. 28:2 Lev 3:11. 28:3-8 Ex 29:38-42. “Tenth of an ephah” (vs 5,7,14) – probably about one liter. 28:11 10:10. 28:12 15:4-12.

28:14 “Half a hin” – probably about two liters. 28:16 Ex 12:1-20; Lev 23:5-8. 28:17 Ex 23:15; 34:18; Deut 16:3-8. 28:18 Lev 23:7. 28:22 Lev 4:23,24; 16:18. 28:26 Ex 23:16; 34:22; Lev 23:15-21. 28:30 Note on atonement at Ex 29:33. As they neared the land of promise they were reminded of the offerings God required of them – daily offerings (v 3-8), weekly

213 NUMBERS 29:37

burnt offering, and its grain offering (they shall be to you without blemish), and their drink offerings.

the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, according to the regulations; 19 and one young goat as a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

“And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work; it is to be to you a day for blowing trumpets. 2 And you shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD: one young ox, one ram, and seven lambs a year old without blemish; 3 and their grain offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for an ox, and two tenths for a ram, 4 and one tenth for one lamb, for all the seven lambs; 5 and one young goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering for the month, and its grain offering, and the daily burnt offering, and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their regulations, as a soothing aroma, a sacrifice made by fire to the LORD.

20 “And on the third day eleven oxen, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old without blemish; 21 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, according to the regulations; 22 and one goat as a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

23 “And on the fourth day ten oxen, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old without blemish; 24 their grain offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, according to the regulations; 25 and one young goat as a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

7 “And on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; and you shall humble yourselves: you shall not do any work on that day ; 8 but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD as a soothing aroma: one young ox, one ram, and seven lambs a year old. They shall be to you without blemish; 9 and their grain offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for an ox, and two tenths for one ram, 10 and a tenth for one lamb, for all the seven lambs; 11 one young goat for a sin offering; besides the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

26 “And on the fifth day nine oxen, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old without spot; 27 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, according to the regulations; 28 and one goat as a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

29 “And on the sixth day eight oxen, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old without blemish; 30 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, according to the regulations; 31 and one goat as a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

12 “And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no hard work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD for seven days; 13 and you shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD: thirteen young oxen, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish. 14 And their grain offering shall be of flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen oxen, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15 and a tenth for each lamb of the fourteen lambs; 16 and one young goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

32 “And on the seventh day seven oxen, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old without blemish; 33 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, according to the regulations; 34 and one goat as a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

35 “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; on that day you shall do no hard work; 36 but you shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD: one ox, one ram, seven lambs a year old without blemish; 37 their grain offering and their drink

17 “And on the second day you shall offer twelve young oxen, two rams, and fourteen lambs a year old without defect; 18 and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for

offerings (vs 9,10), monthly offerings (vs 11-15); also special festival offerings (28:16 – 29:40). 29:1 A description follows of certain special festival offerings. Note on the feast of

trumpets at Lev 23:23-25. 29:7 Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32. “Humble yourselves” – or possibly “fast.” 29:12 Lev 23:33-35; Deut 16:13-15. 29:35 Lev 23:36.

NUMBERS 29:38 214

offerings for the ox, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, according to the regulations; 38 and one goat as a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, and its grain offering, and its drink offering.

woman, with which she has bound her soul, will be binding on her.

10 “And if she made the vow, or bound her soul with a binding obligation by an oath, in her husband’s house, 11 and her husband heard it, and said nothing to her, and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand, and every binding obligation with which she bound her soul shall stand. 12 But if her husband made them completely void on the day he heard them, then whatever came from her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the binding obligation of her soul, shall not stand; her husband made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her. 13 Her husband may confirm or her husband may make void every vow, and every binding oath to humble the soul. 14 But if her husband says absolutely nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows, or all her binding obligations on her; he confirms them because he said nothing to her on the day that he heard them. 15 But if he makes them void some time after he has heard them, then he will bear her guilt.”

39 “These things you shall offer to the LORD at your appointed feasts, besides your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.”

40 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel in accordance with all that the LORD commanded Moses.

And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, “This is what the LORD has commanded. 2 If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a binding obligation, he must not break his word; he must do according to all that came out of his mouth.

3 “Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself with a binding obligation while she is in her father’s house in her youth, 4 and her father hears her vow, and her binding obligation with which she bound her soul, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every binding obligation with which she bound her soul shall stand. 5 But if her father forbids her on the day that he hears it, not any of her vows or her binding obligations with which she bound her soul, shall stand; and the LORD will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her.

16 These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter who is still in her youth in her father’s house.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel; after that you will be gathered to your people.”

3 And Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Some of you are to be armed for war, and go against the Midianites and take vengeance on Midian for the LORD. 4 You shall send to the battle a thousand from each tribe, for all the tribes of Israel.” 5 So from the thousands of Israel, a thousand men from each tribe were selected, twelve thousand armed for battle. 6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe. He sent them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and trumpets in his hand to sound the alarm.

6 “And if she marries after she made vows, or rash statements from her lips, with which she bound her soul, 7 and her husband hears of it, and says nothing to her on the day that he hears it, then her vows will stand, and her binding obligations with which she bound her soul will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her on the day that he hears it, then he makes void her vow which she made, and the rash statement that she made with her lips, with which she bound her soul; and the LORD will forgive her.

7 And they fought against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed all the

9 “But the vow of a widow, or of the divorced

29:39 Lev 23:2. 30:2 “Vow” – 6:2; 15:8; Lev 7:16; 23:38; Deut 23:21-23; Ps 50:14; 61:8; 76:11; Eccl 5:4,5. 31:1-3 “Vengeance” – following the counsel of Balaam (25:1,6,15; 31:16) the Midianites joined with the Moabites to try to corrupt Israel. Because of this 24,000 people of Israel died (25:9). Now God’s time has come to deal with Midian. Vengeance belongs to God alone (Deut 32:35,41; Ps

94:1; Rom 3:5,6; 12:19; Heb 10:30). It is God’s anger in action against sin (25:3). It is God acting in perfect justice. It is God bringing on people what they deserve by their actions. See note at Nahum 1:7. We are not to take vengeance on our own (Lev 19:18; Prov 20:22; 24:29; Matt 5:3941; Rom 12:17,19. See note at Ex 21:2325). It is a terrible fault in some people that they try to take vengeance for wrongs done to them. Much harm results from this.

215 NUMBERS 31:46

males. 8 And they killed the kings of Midian, besides the rest of those who were killed, namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9 And the children of Israel took captive all the women of Midian and their little ones, and plundered all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods. 10 And they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps, with fire. 11 And they took all the plunder and all the prey, both of man and animal. 12 And they brought the captives, and the prey and the plunder, to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, at the camp on the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan near Jericho.

impurity; and everything that cannot stand fire you must put through water. 24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you will be clean; and after that you may come into the camp.”

25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation must count the prey that was taken; 27 and divide the prey between the soldiers who went out to battle, and the whole congregation, 28 and levy a tax for the LORD from the soldiers who went to battle: one in five hundred of the persons and of the cattle and of the donkeys and of the sheep. 29 Take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest as a lifted up offering for the LORD. 30 And from the half of the children of Israel you shall take one in fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of each kind of animal, and give them to the Levites who are in charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.” 31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. 14 And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle.

32 And the plunder that remained of the prey which the soldiers had taken was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 and seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 and sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and altogether thirty-two thousand persons, women who had not known a man through intercourse with him.

15 And Moses said to them, “Have you kept all the women alive? 16 Look, through the counsel of Balaam these caused the children of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the affair of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Therefore now kill every boy among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man through intercourse with him. 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the female children who have not known a man through intercourse with him.

36 And the half which was the portion of the soldiers by number was this: three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep; 37 and the LORD’s tax of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five. 38 And there were thirty-six thousand cattle, of which the LORD’s tax was seventy-two. 39 And there were thirty thousand five hundred donkeys; of which the LORD’s tax was sixty-one. 40 And there were sixteen thousand persons; of whom the LORD’s tax was thirty-two persons.

19 “And stay outside the camp for seven days. Any of you who has killed any person, and anyone who has touched anyone who was killed, must purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day. 20 And purify all your clothing and everything that is made of skins and everything made of goats’ hair and everything made of wood.”

41 And Moses gave the tax, which was the LORD’s lifted up offering, to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

21 And Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the regulation of the law which the LORD commanded Moses: 22 you shall put through fire only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that can stand fire, and it will be clean; but it must be purified with the water for

42 And the half for the children of Israel which Moses separated from the soldiers, 43 the half that belonged to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44 and thirty-six thousand cattle, 45 and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46 and sixteen

31:27 The spoils were to be shared by everyone alike (Josh 22:8; 1 Sam 30:22-25). The Lord Jesus divides with His believers all the spoils He has won in His victory over Satan (Rom 8:17; Gal 4:7; Eph 3:6). 31:28-30 The priests also must have their share. God did not forget His servants in the tabernacle even if they could not go to the battle.

31:8 God’s vengeance came on Balaam too. He once spoke for God, but betrayed God’s people for reward. 31:14-17 The women of Midian were as least as guilty as the men and vengeance must be taken on them too. 31:17 See Deut 7:2; 20:16-18. 31:19 19:11-22. 31:23 19:9,17.

NUMBERS 31:47 216

thousand persons. 47 And from the half for the children of Israel Moses took one in fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites who were in charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

6 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war, and you sit here? 7 Now why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them? 8 Your fathers did like this when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they would not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10 And at that time the LORD’s anger burned, and he made an oath, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, twenty years old and over, will see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me; 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.’ 13 And the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander in the desert for forty years, until the whole generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

48 And the officers who were over thousands in the army, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses, 49 and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a census of the soldiers who are under our command, and not one man of us is missing. 50 Therefore we have brought an offering for the LORD, what each man has gotten, ornaments of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls in the LORD’s presence.”

51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all the crafted ornaments. 52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the LORD from the captains of thousands and from the captains of hundreds was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 For the soldiers had taken plunder, each man for himself.

54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation as a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

14 “And, see, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to make the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel still greater. 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will once more leave them in the desert, and you will destroy all these people.”

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great number of livestock, and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that it appeared to be a good place for livestock, 2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, 3 “Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land which the LORD struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”

16 And they came near him, and said, “We will build pens here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be armed and ready to go in front of the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones will live in the fortified cities, because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our houses, until each man of the children of Israel has taken possession of his inheritance. 19 For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other bank of the Jordan or beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”

5 “Therefore”, they said, “If we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession, and do not take us over the Jordan.”

20 And Moses said to them, “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves for battle in the presence of the LORD, 21 and all of you go armed

31:49 Not one man of Israel fell in battle in this amazing victory. When God, not man, takes vengeance it will work out perfectly. 31:50 Ex 30:12-16. 31:52 “Sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels” – about 190 kilograms. 32:1,2 Lot made a similar mistake (Gen 13:10,11). 32:4 21:21-24,33-35. 32:5 Reuben and Gad, instead of going on to the promised land and accepting God’s place for them in it, wanted to choose for themselves. This was a source of much

trouble in later years because the region they chose had no safe frontiers and was vulnerable to attack from enemies. Syria was on the north, Ammon on the east and Moab on the south. It is always better to leave the choice of our place to God (Ps 47:4). 32:6-15 Moses was so displeased that he harshly compared them to their rebellious fathers at Kadesh who would not go into the land (13:31 – 14:4). 32:16-19 Their promise to help the rest of Israel conquer Canaan pacified Moses, but

217 NUMBERS 33:13

over the Jordan in the presence of the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterwards you may return and be guiltless before the LORD and before Israel, and this land will be your possession in the presence of the LORD.

Bethharan, fortified cities; and folds for sheep. 37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, 38 and Nebo, and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah, and gave other names to the cities which they built.

39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and captured it, and drove out the Amorite people who were in it. 40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. 42 And Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

23 “But if you will not do so, see, you have sinned against the LORD. And be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has come out of your mouth.”

25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will cross over, each man armed for war to battle in the presence of the LORD, just as my lord says.”

These are the journeys of the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 And Moses recorded their starting points according to their journeys by the command of the LORD, and these are their journeys according to their starting points.

28 So Moses gave orders concerning them to Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the family heads of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will cross over the Jordan with you, each man armed for battle in the presence of the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you will give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they will not cross over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

3 And they left Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the next day after the Passover the children of Israel went out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians. 4 For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, whom the LORD had struck down among them; also the LORD executed judgments on their gods.

31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, “We will do just as the LORD has told your servants. 32 We will cross over armed in the presence of the LORD into the land of Canaan, so that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may remain ours.”

5 And the children of Israel left Rameses, and camped in Succoth. 6 And they left Succoth, and camped in Etham, which is on the border of the desert. 7 And they left Etham, and turned back to Pi-Hahiroth, which is opposite Baal Zephon, and they camped before Migdol. 8 And they left PiHahiroth, and passed through the middle of the sea into the desert, and went three days’ journey in the desert of Etham, and camped in Marah. 9 And they left Marah, and came to Elim. And there were twelve fountains of water, and seventy palm trees in Elim; and they camped there.

33 And Moses gave to them, that is, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within its boundaries, the cities of the surrounding land.

10 And they left Elim, and camped by the Red Sea. 11 And they left the Red Sea, and camped in the desert of Sin. 12 And they took their journey from the desert of Sin, and camped in Dophkah. 13 And they left Dophkah, and camped in Alush.

34 And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, 35 and Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, 36 and Bethnimrah, and

it did not make their choice good. 32:23 Not doing what we should do is sin just as much as doing what we should not (Deut 23:3,4; Jud 5:23; 1 Sam 12:23; Matt 21:28-32; 25:24-27, 41-46; 1 Tim 5:8). In either case, sin will bring great trouble. 32:33 The half tribe of Manasseh was not mentioned when Reuben and Gad made their request. Evidently they decided later to join them.

32:39-42 Deut 3:13-15. 32:41 “Havvoth Jair” means “the villages of Jair.” 33:2 Another indication that Moses wrote the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). See also Ex 17:14; 24:4; 34:27; Deut 31:9; John 5:46. 33:3 Ex 12:37; 14:8. 33:4 Ex 12:12. 33:8 Ex 14:22; 15:22,23. 33:9 Ex 15:27.

NUMBERS 33:14 218

14 And they left Alush, and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

Jordan opposite Jericho. 49 And they camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth to Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab.

15 And they left Rephidim, and camped in the desert of Sinai. 16 And they left the desert of Sinai, and camped at Kibroth-Hattaavah. 17 And they left Kibroth-Hattaavah, and camped at Hazeroth. 18 And they left Hazeroth, and camped in Rithmah. 19 And they left Rithmah, and camped at Rimmon-Parez. 20 And they left Rimmon-Parez, and camped in Libnah.

50 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their carved images and destroy all their cast metal images, and demolish all their high places. 53 And you shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it. 54 And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families. And to a larger group you shall give more inheritance, and to a smaller group you shall give less inheritance. Each man’s inheritance is to be in the place where his lot falls. You are to inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.

21 And they left Libnah, and camped at Rissah. 22 And they journeyed from Rissah, and camped in Kehelathah. 23 And they went from Kehelathah, and camped in Mount Shapher. 24 And they left Mount Shapher, and camped in Haradah. 25 And they left Haradah, and camped in Makheloth.

26 And they left Makheloth, and camped at Tahath. 27 And they left Tahath, and camped at Tarah. 28 And they left Tarah, and camped in Mithcah. 29 And they left Mithcah, and camped in Hashmonah. 30 And they left Hashmonah, and camped at Moseroth. 31 And they left Moseroth, and camped in Bene Jaakan. 32 And they left Bene Jaakan, and camped at Hor Hagidgad. 33 And they left Hor Hagidgad, and camped in Jotbathah. 34 And they left Jotbathah, and camped at Ebronah. 35 And they left Ebronah, and camped at Ezion-Geber.

55 “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it will come about that those of them whom you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and will trouble you in the land where you live. 56 Also it will come about that I will do to you, as I thought to do to them.”

36 And they left Ezion-Geber, and camped in the desert of Zin, which is Kadesh. 37 And they left Kadesh, and camped in Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom. 38 And Aaron the priest went up on Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month. 39 And Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died in Mount Hor.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan this is the land that will come to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan with these borders: 3 your south region will be from the desert of Zin along by the border of Edom, and on the east your southern border will extend from the end of the Salt Sea. 4 And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin, and its extent will be to the south of Kadesh-Barnea, and go on to Hazar-Addar, and pass on to Azmon. 5 And the border will change direction from Azmon to the Wadi of Egypt, and extend to the sea.

40 And king Arad the Canaanite, who lived in the south of the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. 41 And they left Mount Hor, and camped in Zalmonah. 42 And they left Zalmonah, and camped in Punon. 43 And they left Punon, and camped in Oboth. 44 And they left Oboth, and camped in Ijeabarim, on the border of Moab. 45 And they left Iim, and camped in Dibon-Gad.

6 “And as for the western border, you will have the Great Sea as a boundary; this will be your western boundary.

7 “And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea you shall draw your boundary to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor you shall draw the boundary to the entrance of Hamath, and the boundary will extend to Zedad; 9 and the boundary will go on to Ziphron, and it will extend to Hazarenan. This will be your northern border.

46 And they left Dibon-Gad, and camped in Almon-Diblathaim. 47 And they left AlmonDiblathaim, and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 And they left the mountains of Abarim, and camped in the plains of Moab by the

33:38 20:28. 33:40 21:1. 33:45 “Iim”–the same as Ijeabarim in v 44. 33:52 Ex 23:24; Lev 26:1; Deut 7:5;

12:3,30. 33:55 Josh 23:12,13. 33:56 2 Kings 24:2-4; 2 Chron 36:15-20. 34:3-5 “The Salt Sea” – another name for

219 NUMBERS 35:15

10 “And you shall draw your eastern border from Hazarenan to Shepham; 11 and the boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the eastern side of Ain; and the border will descend and reach to the eastern shore of the Sea of Kinnereth; 12 and the border will go along the Jordan, and extend to the Salt Sea: this will be your land with its surrounding boundaries.”

And the LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities to live in from the inheritance of their possession. Also you shall give pasture lands to the Levites surrounding the cities. 3 And they will have the cities to live in, and their pasture lands will be for their livestock and for their herds and for all their animals.

13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you will inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half tribe; 14 for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the households of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the households of their fathers, have received their inheritance ; and half the tribe of Manasseh has received their inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan opposite Jericho, toward the rising of the sun.”

4 “And the pasture lands of the cities which you give to the Levites are to reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5 And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city will be in the center. This will become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.

6 “And among the cities which you give to the Levites there are to be six cities for refuge. You shall appoint them for the one who kills someone, for him to flee to; and in addition to them you give forty-two cities. 7 So the total of the cities which you give to the Levites will be forty-eight cities. You must give them with their pasture lands. 8 And the cities which you give will be from the possession of the children of Israel. From those who have many cities you shall give many, but from those who have few you shall give few. Each is to give to the Levites from his cities according to his inheritance which he obtains.”

16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to divide the land for you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 And you shall take one leader from each tribe to divide the land for inheritance.

19 “And these are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 20 and from the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud; 21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon; 22 and the leader of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli; 23 the leader of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod; 24 and the leader of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan; 25 and the leader of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach; 26 and the leader of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan; 27 and the leader of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi; 28 and the leader of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.

9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, When you have gone over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that whoever kills anyone unintentionally may flee there. 12 And they will be for you cities for refuge from the avenger, so that the one who kills another will not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. 13 And the cities which you are to give will be your six cities of refuge. 14 Give three cities on this side of the Jordan, and give three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities are to be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills another person

29 These are the ones whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance for the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

the Dead Sea. 34:11 “Kinnereth” – Galilee. 34:16-29 So certain it was that Israel would conquer Canaan that the men who would divide the inheritance for the tribes in Canaan were chosen before an acre of ground had been captured. God’s promises will never fail. 35:1-8 The Levites as a tribe did not receive a portion of the promised land. They

did receive needed places to live and pasture land for cattle. 35:9-32 The cities of refuge are mentioned also in Deut 19:1-13 and Josh 20:1-9. In those days (not now), in case of murder, a close relative of the murdered person had the right to execute God’s vengeance on the murderer (v 19; Gen 9:6; Ex 21:12; Lev 24:17). But a person might kill another accidentally. The avenger, seeing his slain

NUMBERS 35:16 220

unintentionally may flee there.

wherever you live.

16 “And if he strikes him with an iron implement so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must be put to death without fail. 17 And if he strikes him down by throwing a stone that could kill him, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must be put to death without fail. 18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon which could kill him, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must be put to death without fail. 19 The avenger of blood himself shall kill the murderer; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he shoves him out of hatred, or throws something at him while lying in wait, so that he dies, 21 or in enmity struck him with his fist, so that he dies, the one who struck him must be put to death without fail, for he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

30 “If anyone kills another person, the murderer shall be put to death at the testimony of witnesses; but the testimony of one witness against another person shall not be sufficient to put him to death.

31 “Moreover you shall not take a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of causing death; he must be put to death without fail.

32 “And you shall not take a ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge to allow him to come again to live in the land before the death of the priest.

33 “So do not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed from the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Therefore do not defile the land which you shall inhabit, in which I will live; for I the LORD live among the children of Israel.”

22 “But if he suddenly shoved him without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait, 23 or threw a stone which could kill a man, without seeing him and threw it on him so that he dies, not being his enemy, or seeking to harm him, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the one who killed the person and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25 And the congregation shall deliver the one who killed from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to his city of refuge where he had fled; and he is to stay in it until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

And the heads of the fathers’ families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, approached and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, 2 and they said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land by lot as an inheritance to the children of Israel; and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3 And if they marry any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and be added to the inheritance of the tribe where they are received; so it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel takes place, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe where they are received; so their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

26 “But if the one who committed manslaughter at any time comes outside the boundary of his city of refuge where he has fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the one who committed manslaughter, he will not be guilty of blood, 28 because the person should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the one who committed manslaughter shall return into the land of his possession.

5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel in accordance with the word of the LORD, saying, “The tribe of the sons of Joseph has spoken justly.

29 “So these things shall be a statute of judgment for you throughout your generations

us to death as we deserve God made a place of refuge for us. This refuge is Christ. He is also the High Priest and He will never die, and in Him believers will be safe forever.

relative, could not know whether he was killed intentionally or unintentionally. So these cities of refuge were provided for the man who killed another accidentally, who was not worthy of death at the hands of the avenger. Such a person could flee to one of those cities and there wait safely until his trial (vs 12,24). He was secure as long as he remained there.

“Refuge” – Deut 33:27; Ps 46:1; 48:3; 62:7,8; 91:2,9; Prov 14:26; Isa 4:6; 25:4; Rom 8:1; Heb 6:18. 35:33 Ps 106:38; 2 Kings 24:3,4. 35:34 “Among the children of Israel” – note at Ex 25:8. 36:2 27:5-7. 36:4 Lev 25:10.

For believers now God Himself is the refuge from His own anger which would take vengeance on their sins. Instead of putting

221 NUMBERS 36:13

6 This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry whom they think best, but they shall marry only in the family of the tribe of their father. 7 So the inheritance of the children of Israel will not change from tribe to tribe; for each of the children of Israel will keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall marry one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that each person of the children of Israel may enjoy the inheritance of his fathers. 9 And the inheritance will not change from one tribe to another tribe; but each person of the tribes of the

children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.”

10 The daughters of Zelophehad did just as the LORD commanded Moses. 11 For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, married their father’s brothers’ sons; 12 they married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.

13 These are the commandments and the judgments which the LORD gave to the children of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

36:7 1 Kings 21:3.

DEUTERONOMY

Title:

The name “Deuteronomy” came from the Septuagint into English (see the Introduction to Genesis). It means a second arrangement of, or a second reference to, the law or laws.

Author and date:

See the Introduction to Genesis.

Theme:

This is a book of remembrance (1:3; 4:9,10,23,31; 5:15; 6:12; 7:18; 8:2,11,14,18,19; 9:7; 11:2; 15:15; 16:3; 24:9; 25:19). It is a restatement of the law God gave at Mt Sinai, and a confirmation of God’s covenant with Israel. Here the special privileges and duties of the people of Israel are clearly and fully stated. God especially emphasizes the relationship of love between Himself and Israel (4:37; 6:5; 7:8,13; 10:12,15; 19:9; 30:6,16,19,20; 33:3). God was well aware of Israel’s tendency toward idolatry and warns them in very strong words to have nothing to do with images and other gods (6:14,15; 7:4; 8:19,20; 11:16; 13:1-18; 17:2-7; 27:15; 29:17,18; 30:17,18). He is God, and there is no other, and they must devote themselves to Him alone (6:4,5).

Contents:

Israel’s journeys from Mt Sinai to Canaan ..................................................... 1:6 - 3:29 Moses exhorts Israel to follow God’s law ....................................................... 4:1-24 Warning about the future in Canaan ............................................................ 4:25-31 The God of Israel alone is the true God ......................................................... 4:32-40 Cities of refuge east of the Jordan ............................................................... 4:41-43 The ten commandments .............................................................................. 5:1-33 The greatest commandment of all ................................................................ 6:5 Further exhortations to keep God’s commands .............................................. 6:6-25 Driving other peoples from Canaan .............................................................. 7:1-6 Why God chose Israel................................................................................. 7:7-11 Blessings for obedience .............................................................................. 7:12-15 God would enable them to conquer Canaan................................................... 7:16-26 Exhortation to keep God and His commands

in memory ........................................................................................ 8:1-20 Why God was giving Canaan to Israel .......................................................... 9:1-6 The golden calf .......................................................................................... 9:7-29 The duty of Israel ...................................................................................... 10:12 - 11:32 The one place for sacrifice .......................................................................... 12:1-32 Punishment for idolatry ............................................................................... 13:1-18 Clean and unclean...................................................................................... 14:1-21 Tithes ....................................................................................................... 14:22-29 Cancelling debts ........................................................................................ 15:1-11 Freeing servants or slaves .......................................................................... 15:12-18 Annual festivals ......................................................................................... 16:1-17 Appointment of judges ............................................................................... 16:18-20 Punishment for worshipping other gods,

or the sun, moon or stars ................................................................... 17:2-7 Law courts ................................................................................................ 17:8-13 Choosing a king ......................................................................................... 17:14-20 Offerings for God’s servants ....................................................................... 18:1-8 Things God hates ....................................................................................... 18:9-13

223 DEUTERONOMY

The great prophet to come ......................................................................... 18:14-22 Cities of refuge .......................................................................................... 19:1-14 Essence of the law ..................................................................................... 19:21 Concerning war ......................................................................................... 20:1-20 Unsolved murder ........................................................................................ 21:1-9 Captive women .......................................................................................... 21:10-14 Rights of the firstborn ................................................................................ 21:15-17 Punishment for a rebellious son.................................................................... 21:18-21 Various rules and laws................................................................................. 21:22 - 22:12 Violations of the proper relationship

between men and women .................................................................. 22:13-30 Citizenship rights ........................................................................................ 23:1-8 Various rules and laws................................................................................. 23:9 - 25:19

Divorce ............................................................................................ 24:1-4 Compassion on the poor .................................................................... 24:12-22 Regarding remarriage of widows ......................................................... 25:5-10 Firstfruits and tithes ................................................................................... 26:1-15 Curses that come on sinners ....................................................................... 27:14-26 Blessings for obedience .............................................................................. 28:1-14 Curses for disobedience.............................................................................. 28:15-19 Terrible warnings of future judgment ............................................................ 28:20-68 The covenant confirmed ............................................................................. 29:1-18 The punishment for unfaithfulness to

God’s covenant ................................................................................. 29:1-29 Promises of good things after punishment ..................................................... 30:1-10 Choose life or death ................................................................................... 30:11-20 Joshua to be Israel’s new leader .................................................................. 31:1-8 Reading the law of God .............................................................................. 31:9-13 Song of Moses ........................................................................................... 32:1-43 The importance of keeping God’s law ............................................................ 32:44-47 God speaks of Moses’ death ........................................................................ 32:48-52 Moses’ blessings on the tribes ...................................................................... 33:1-29 Moses’ death and obituary .......................................................................... 34:1-12

DEUTERONOMY 1:1 224

14 And you answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good to do.”

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on the east side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-Barnea.

15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and men of reputation, and made them your leaders, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, “Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between each man and his brother, and the foreigner who is with him. 17 You must not show partiality in judgment, but you must hear the small as well as the great. You must not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it.” 18 And at that time I commanded you everything that you should do.

3 And it came about in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had killed Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived at Astaroth in Edrei.

5 On the east side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to expound this law, saying,

6 The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying, “You have lived long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and set out on your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all the places near it on the plain, in the hills, and in the lowland, and in the south, and by the sea shore, to the land of the Canaanites, and to Lebanon, to the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 See, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.”

19 And when we left Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible desert which you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-Barnea. 20 And I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God gives to us. 21 Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has said to you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

22 And all of you came near me and said, “We will send men before us, and they will search out the land for us, and bring back word to us as to the way we should go up and the cities we should go to.”

9 And I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you alone. 10 The LORD your God has increased your number, and, look, you are this day as many as the stars of heaven in number. 11 The LORD God of your fathers cause you to increase a thousand times more than you are, and bless you as he has promised you! 12 How can I, I alone, bear your load and your burden and your strife? 13 Select men of wisdom and understanding and reputation among your tribes, and I will make them your leaders.”

23 And the thing seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men of you, one from each tribe. 24 And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out. 25 And they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought back word to us, and said, “It is

1:13 Ex 18:21,22. 1:16-18 Deut 16:18-20; 2 Chron 19:5-7; Prov 24:23-25; John 7:24. 1:19 Deut 8:15. Between Sinai (Horeb) and Kadesh the land is a dreary hot waste of sand and rock and barren mountains. Here and there are a few springs, a few valleys that have some vegetation after rain and a few oases where water is found. For a people who had lived in one of the best parts of Egypt it must have seemed indeed a vast and terrible desert. But it was the way God in His wisdom led them. The journey from Egypt to Canaan is a picture of believers’ journey from the fallen world to the promised spiritual land above. Figuratively speaking, they too find their journey is sometimes through terrible “desert” areas abounding in difficulties (notes at Ex 15:27; 16:3; Num 14:45; 20:12). 1:22-46 These verses recount events

1:1 Moses first spoke the words of this book. Later he wrote them down (31:9).

“Suph” – the KJV has the “Red sea” here, but the Hebrew does not have the usual expression indicating the Red Sea, and it should not be so translated. The Israelites now were not near the Red Sea, but in the land of Moab east of the Jordan river. 1:3 These words and messages came to Moses and to Israel at the command of God. They are the words of Moses, but they are also the words of God (1 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21). “Fortieth year” – since Israel left Egypt. 1:4 Num 21:21-35. 1:5 The word translated “law” also means “instruction.” 1:6 Num 10:11-13. 1:7,8 Gen 12:7; 26:3; 28:13; Ex 33:1. 1:9-15 Ex 18:18,24; Num 11:14. 1:10 Gen 15:5; 22:17; Ex 32:13.

225 DEUTERONOMY 2:9

a good land which the LORD our God gives us.”

weapons of war, you were ready to go up into the hill country.

26 However you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. 27 And you grumbled in your tents, and said, “Because the LORD hated us, he has brought us from the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where shall we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are large and have walls reaching up to heaven; and also we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.’”

42 But the LORD said to me, “Say to them, do not go up, or fight; for I will not be among you, and you will be struck down before your enemies.”

43 So I spoke to you, but you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the LORD, and went presumptuously up to the hill country. 44 And the Amorites, who lived in that hill country, came out against you, and chased you as bees do, and crushed you in Seir, as far as Hormah. 45 And you returned and wept before the LORD, but the LORD would not listen to your voice, or give ear to you. 46 So you stayed in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you spent there.

29 Then I said to you, “Do not dread them, or be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the desert, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you just as a man carries his son, all along the way that you came, until you arrived at this place.”

Then we turned and set out on our journey into the desert on the way toward the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me; and we went around Mount Seir many days.

32 Yet in spite of this you did not believe the LORD your God, 33 who went on the way before you, in fire by night to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, and in a cloud by day to show you the way you should go. 34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying, 35 “Not one of these men of this evil generation will see that good land, which I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give the land that he has walked on to him and to his children, because he has fully followed the LORD.”

2 And the LORD spoke to me, saying, 3 “You have gone around this mountain long enough. Turn northward. 4 And command the people, saying, ‘You are going to pass through the territory of your brothers the children of Esau who live in Seir. And they will be afraid of you. Therefore watch out for yourselves. 5 Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not as much as a foot’s breadth, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You are to buy meat from them for money, for you to eat; and also you are to buy water from them for money, for you to drink.

37 Also the LORD was angry with me on your account, saying, “You will not go in there either. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun, who stands in your presence, will go in there. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit it. 39 Moreover your little ones, who you said would be a prey, and your children, who in that day had no discernment between good and evil, will go in there, and I will give it to them, and they will possess it. 40 But as for you, turn and set out on your journey into the desert on the way toward the Red Sea.”

7 “For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He knows your walking through this great desert. The LORD your God has been with you for these forty years. You have lacked nothing.”

8 And when we passed beyond our brothers the children of Esau, who lived in Seir, by way of the plain from Elath and from Ezion Geber, we turned and passed along by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

9 And the LORD said to me, “Do not trouble the Moabites, or provoke them to battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar as a possession to the children of Lot.”

41 Then you answered and said to me, “We have sinned against the LORD; we will go up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.” And when each of you had strapped on his

recorded in Numbers chapters 13 and 14. Now they are once again at the borders of the land, and so it was very important for them to remember the failure of their fathers so they might not fail likewise. 1:28 “Anakim” – very tall people who were ancient inhabitants of Canaan. In Hebrew Anakim is the plural form of the word, “im” indicating the plural. 1:32 Unbelief was the great sin that kept

them from entering the promised land 40 years earlier. Let them beware now (Num 14:11; Ps 106:24; Heb 3:19; 4:2; Jude 5). 2:1-15 These verses give events recorded in Numbers 20:14-21 and 21:12-20. “Red Sea” (v 1) – “Yom Suph” in Hebrew. 2:7 Though they were a rebellious, unbelieving people God took care of them so perfectly that they lacked nothing (compare 2 Tim 2:13; 1 Cor 1:9).

DEUTERONOMY 2:10 226

10 (The Emim lived there in times past, a great and numerous people and as tall as the Anakim, 11 and they were also regarded as Rephaim, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horim also lived in Seir previously, but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession, which the LORD gave to them.)

whole heaven who hear reports about you, and they will tremble, and be in anguish because of you.”

26 And I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying, 27 “Let me pass through your land. I will go by the highway. I will not turn to the right hand nor to the left. 28 You may sell me meat for money, so that I may eat, and give me water for money, so that I may drink, as I pass through on foot, 29 just as the children of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar, did for me, until I cross the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God gives us.” 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through his land. For the LORD your God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, so that he might deliver him into your hands, as it is this day.

13 “Now rise up,” the LORD said, “and go over the brook Zered.” And we went over the brook Zered.

14 And it took us thirty-eight years to come from Kadesh-Barnea, to the time we crossed the brook Zered, until all that generation of the men of war had perished from the camp, just as the LORD swore to them. 15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the camp until they had perished.

31 And the LORD said to me, “See, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to possess his land so that you can inherit it.”

16 So it came about, when death had finished carrying off all the men of war from among the people, 17 that the LORD spoke to me, saying, 18 “Today you are to pass by Ar, the territory of Moab. 19 And when you come opposite the children of Ammon, do not trouble them or provoke them; for I will not give you any possession from the land of the children of Ammon, because I have given it as a possession to the children of Lot. 20 (That also was regarded as a land of giants. In ancient times giants lived there, and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim. 21 They were a great and numerous people, and as tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place; 22 just as he did for the children of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horim from before them. And they succeeded them, and lived in their place even to this day. 23 And the Avim who lived in Hazerim as far as Azzah, the Caphtorim, who came forth from Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)

32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. 33 And the LORD our God handed him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. 34 And at that time we took all his cities, and utterly destroyed the men and the women and the little ones of each city. We left not one remaining. 35 Only the cattle we took as prey for ourselves, and the plunder from the cities which we took. 36 From Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon river, and from the city that is by the river, as far as Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us. The LORD our God handed over everything to us. 37 You did not go to the land of the children of Ammon or to any place along the river Jabbok, or to the towns in the hill country, only going where the LORD our God commanded us.

Then we turned and went up toward Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

24 “Rise up, set out on your journey, and cross the river Arnon. See, I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle. 25 This day I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the nations that are under the

2 And the LORD said to me, “Do not be afraid of him, for I will give him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”

3 So the LORD our God gave also Og, the king of Bashan, and all his people into our hands, and

2:10 “Emim” - see note on the Hebrew plural form at 1:28. 2:15 It is a dreadful thing to have the hand of almighty God against us – 32:29,41; Isa 1:25; 5:25; Dan 4:35; 5:23; Heb 10:31. 2:16 God fulfilled to the letter His word against the rebels. So now it was time to start moving again toward the promised land. 2:23 “Caphtor” – the island of Crete. 2:24-37 Num 21:21-26.

2:25 “Fear” – Ex 23:27; Deut 11:25; Josh 2:9. This contributed a great deal to Israel’s victories. Their enemies were lacking confidence and were defeated before the fight began. 2:34 A people so wicked in God’s sight that they deserved, and received, complete destruction. Notes at Gen 6:7; Lev 18:24,25. 3:1-11 These events are recorded in Num 21:33-35. Here we have added details.

227 DEUTERONOMY 4:3

we defeated him until not one of his was left remaining. 4 And at that time we took all of his cities. There was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars. Besides there were a great many unwalled towns. 6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of each city. 7 But all the cattle and the plunder of the cities, we took as a prey for ourselves.

possess it; all you warriors shall cross over armed before your brethren the children of Israel. 19 But your wives and your little ones and your livestock (for I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, 20 until the LORD has given rest to your brethren, as well as to you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God has given them beyond the Jordan; and then each of you shall return to his possession, which I have given you.”

21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, “Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD will do to all the kingdoms into which you cross. 22 You must not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God will fight for you.”

8 And at that time we took from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side of the Jordan, from the river of Arnon to mount Hermon 9 (this Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Shenir), 10 all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 Only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants. Now his bedstead was an iron bedstead. Is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Its length was nine cubits, and its width was four cubits, according to man’s cubit.

23 And at that time I pleaded with the LORD, saying, 24 “O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and such mighty deeds as yours? 25 I pray you, let me cross over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.”

12 And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half of Mount Gilead, and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites. 13 And the rest of Gilead, and the whole of Bashan, which was the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh, the whole region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants. 14 Jair the son of Manasseh took the whole country of Argob to the territories of Geshuri and Maachathi, and called them after his own name, Bashan Havoth Jair, as it is called to this day. 15 And I gave Gilead to Machir. 16 And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the river Arnon, the middle of the valley as the border even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon. 17 The plain also with the Jordan as its border, from Kinnereth to the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, under Ashdoth-Pisgah on the east.

26 But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, “Enough! Speak no more to me of this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, and raise your eyes toward the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes; for you will not cross this Jordan. 28 But command Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he will cross in front of this people, and he will cause them to inherit the land which you will see.” 29 So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.

So now listen, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers gives you. 2 You must not add to the word which I command you, or take away anything from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

18 And I commanded you at that time, saying, “The LORD your God has given you this land to

3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did

3:6 2:34. 3:12-20 Note at Num 32:1-5. 3:17 Kinnereth is Galilee, the Salt Sea is the Dead Sea. 3:21,22 Moses’ aim in recounting these victories is plain. He wanted to strengthen the faith and courage of Joshua and the people to go into Canaan and conquer it (v 28). 3:26 God’s forbidding Moses to enter Canaan was for Israel’s sake. Moses was a very old man (31:2,3) and it is unlikely that he was able to lead the army. It was better for Joshua to lead Israel in the conquest of

Canaan. He had experience as army commander (Ex 17:8-13) and was a much younger man. See also note at Num 20:12. 3:28 If God calls us to do any work for Him He will see that we get encouragement and strength for it (1:38; 1 Sam 23:16; 2 Chron 32:7,8; Neh 6:9; Ps 20:2; 27:14; Isa 41:10; Rom 15:5,6; Phil 4:13; 2 Tim 4:17; Heb 6:18). 4:1 Obedience meant life to them (5:33; 8:1; 16:20; 30:16; Lev 18:5; Ezek 20:11; Rom 10:5). 4:2 12:32; Prov 30:6; Rev 22:18. 4:3 Num 25:1-9.

DEUTERONOMY 4:4 228

because of Baal of Peor; for the LORD your God destroyed all the men who followed Baal of Peor from among you. 4 But each one of you who held fast to the LORD your God is alive this day.

lets of stone. 14 And at that time the LORD commanded me to teach you statutes and judgments, so that you might behave in accordance with them in the land which you are crossing over to possess.

5 See, I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you should do so in the land where you are going to possess it. 6 Therefore keep them and do them ; for this will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, who will hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” 7 For what nation is there so great, who has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us in everything for which we call on him? 8 And what nation is there so great, that has statutes and judgments so righteous as this whole law which I set before you this day?

15 Therefore watch yourselves carefully (for you saw no kind of form on the day that the LORD spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire) 16 so that you do not corrupt yourselves and make an idol, the form of any image, any male or female form, 17 the form of any animal that is on the earth, the form of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the form of any thing that creeps on the ground, the form of any fish that is in the waters below the earth; 19 and so that you do not raise your eyes to the heavens and see the sun and the moon and the stars, the whole host of the heavens, and be enticed into worshipping them and serving them, which the LORD your God has allotted to all nations under the whole heaven. 20 But the LORD took you and brought you from the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you are this day.

9 Only watch yourselves and keep guard over souls carefully, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen, and so they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but teach them to your sons, and your sons’ sons. 10 The day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, the LORD said to me,

21 Also the LORD was angry with me on your account, and took an oath that I would not go over the Jordan, that I would not go into that good land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance; 22 But I must die in this land; I must not go over Jordan; but you will go over, and possess that good land. 23 Watch yourselves so that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which he made with you, and make an idol for yourselves or the form of anything. The LORD your God has forbidden you this. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

“Assemble the people for me, and I will cause them to hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and so that they may teach their children.”

11 And you came near and stood below the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of the heavens, with darkness, clouds, and thick gloom. 12 And the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. 13 And he proclaimed his covenant to you, which he commanded you to put into practice, the ten commandments. And he wrote them on two tab-

25 When you beget children and grandchildren, and you remain in the land for a long time, and corrupt yourselves and make an idol or the form of any thing, and do evil in the sight of the LORD your

the penalty for their sin – Ezek 8:15,16,18. 4:20 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Ex 19:5; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9. 4:21 1:37; Num 20:12. 4:24 5:9; 6:15; 9:5; Ex 20:5 (note); 24:17; Isa 30:27; 33:14; Heb 12:29. 4:25-30 A dire warning fulfilled centuries later. See 2 Kings chapter 17 and 2 Chronicles chapter 36. 4:25 “Anger” – see notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11; etc. Here is a list of sins which God Himself has revealed make Him angry.

4:5 Lev 26:46; 27:34. 4:6 30:19,20; 32:46,47; Ps 19:7; 111:10; Prov 1:7; 2 Tim 3:15. 4:7 Ps 34:4,17,18; 85:9; 145:18; 148:14; Isa 55:6; John 16:23-27. 4:8 Ps 89:14; 97:2; 119:144,160,172. 4:9 “All the days of your life” – 6:2,12; 8:11,14,19; 12:1; 16:3; Prov 4:23; 23:19. “Sons” – 6:7,20-25; 11:19; 32:46; Gen 18:19; Ps 78:5,6; Prov 22:6; Eph 6:4. 4:10 See chapters 19 and 20 of Exodus; Deut 14:23; 17:19; 31:12,13. 4:11 Ex 19:18; Heb 12:18. 4:13 “Ten commandments” – Ex 20:1-17; 31:18; 34:1,28; Deut 10:4. 4:15-17 Verse 12; Isa 40:18. 4:16 Ex 20:4; Lev 26:1; Deut 5:8,9; 27:15; Rom 1:23. 4:19 17:3; Gen 2:1; 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3; Job 31:26-28; Rom 1:25. God forbids sun worship and calls it detestable (17:4). But Israel later practiced it and paid

Refusal to do God’s will (Ex 4:14) Opposing Him and His people (Ex 15:7; Ps 21:8,9; 78:49; Ezek 38:18; 1 Thess 2:15,16) Injustice toward the helpless (Ex 22:24) Determination to do one’s own will instead of God’s will (Ex 32:10; Num 22:22; Deut 9:7,8; 29:19,20; Ps 95:10,11; Rom 2:8) Complaining and lack of contentment with the way God leads and what God gives (Num

229 DEUTERONOMY 4:40

God provoking him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will surely perish quickly from off the land which you are crossing over the Jordan to possess; you will not live long in it, but will quickly be destroyed. 27 And the LORD will scatter you among the nations, and you will be left few in number among the peoples where the LORD will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or eat or smell. 29 But there if you seek the LORD your God, you will find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in tribulation and all these things have come on you in later days, if you turn to the LORD your God and become obedient to his voice, 31 he will not forsake you or destroy you or forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them. For the LORD your God is a merciful God.

speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? 34 Or has God attempted to go and take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, in accordance with all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

35 That was shown to you so that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no one else besides him. 36 He caused you to hear his voice from heaven so that he might instruct you. And on earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from the midst of the fire. 37 And because he loved your fathers, he chose their offspring after them, and brought you from Egypt in his sight with his mighty power, 38 to drive out nations greater and more powerful than you from before you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day.

32 For ask now about former days, which were before you, from the day that God created man on the earth; ask from the one side of heaven to the other, whether there has been anything as great as this thing, or whether anything like it has been heard. 33 Did people ever hear the voice of God

39 Therefore this day know, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above, and on the earth below; there is no other. 40 Therefore you must keep his statutes and his commandments which I command you this day, so

11:1,10,33; Ps 78:31) Speaking against God’s appointed leaders (Num 12:1,9; 16:46)

Stubborn refusal to receive the truth (Mark 3:5; Rom 2:5,8)

Unbelief (John 3:36) Self-seeking (Rom 2:8) Immorality, impurity, greed (Eph 5:5,6; Col 3:5,6)

Refusal to move forward in faith in obedience to God (Num 32:10,11,14,15)

Disobedience to God’s Word (Josh 7:1,26; 2 Kings 22:13; 2 Chron 24:21; Isa 42:24,25)

Any transgression of the law, such as lying, stealing, etc (Rom 4:15)

Breaking vows or oaths (Josh 9:20) Carelessness concerning God’s holiness (Num 1:53; 2 Sam 6:7)

All sin and all sinners – Isa 13:9; 63:6; 66:15,16; Zeph 3:8; John 3:36; Rom 1:18; Rev 6:15-17; 19:15.

Worship of the stars, offering children to other gods, and practicing sorcery (2 Kings 17:16-18; 21:6) Compromising with evil men (2 Chron 19:2) Mistreating God’s people (2 Chron 28:10,11) Neglecting to worship Him (2 Chron 29:6-8) Scorning God’s Word and His messengers (2 Chron 36:16; Isa 5:24,25)

But one sin is mentioned far more than any others as being a sin which provokes God to anger. This is idolatry and the worship of other gods. See Num 25:3,4; Deut 4:25; 6:14,15; 7:4; 9:18,19; 11:16,17; 29:26-28; 32:16,21,22; Josh 23:16; Jud 2:12; 3:7,8; 1 Kings 11:9,10; 22:53; 2 Kings 22:17; 2 Chron 25:15; Ps 78:55; Jer 7:18,20; 8:19; 11:17; Hos 8:5; etc. 4:28 Ps 115:4-8; 135:15-18; Isa 44:12-20. 4:29 A wonderful promise to them and to us (Isa 55:6; Jer 29:13). Seeking God does not mean to travel to some holy place or other. God is everywhere, and seeking Him means to turn from our sins to Him and pray for His mercy and forgiveness and guidance. 4:31 “Not forsake” – Deut 31:6,8; Josh 1:5; 1 Chron 28:20; Heb 13:5. “Merciful” – Ex 34:6; 2 Chron 30:9; Neh 9:31; Ps 103:8; 11:4; 116:5. 4:32-39 The events in the books of Exodus and Numbers are absolutely unique in the history of the world. God’s dealings with Israel were for three clear reasons – for their

Forsaking God (Ezra 8:22) Marriage between believers and unbelievers (Ezra 10:14)

Rebellious plots against God (Ps 2:12) Forgetting God (Ps 50:22) In unbelief questioning God’s ability (Ps 78:19-22)

Secret sins (Ps 90:7,8) Pride (Isa 2:10-21) Self-righteousness (Isa 65:5) Unfaithfulness to God (Ezek 16:26) Murder (Hos 12:14) Rejecting God’s rule and looking to a human ruler (Hos 13:11; 1 Sam 8:7)

Evil leadership of God’s people (Zech 10:3; Ezek 34:1-10)

DEUTERONOMY 4:41 230

that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may live long in the land which the LORD your God gives you forever.

waters below the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them, or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the wrongdoing of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 and showing mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

41 Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan toward sunrise, 42 so that the one who commits manslaughter, who kills his neighbour unintentionally, and did not hate him previously, might flee there, and fleeing to one of these cities might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness, on the plateau, for the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.

11 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, just as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labour, and do all your work; 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. You shall not do any work in it, not you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your ox, or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or your foreigner who is inside your gates; so that your male servant and your female servant may rest just as you do. 15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

44 And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel; 45 these are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they had come from Egypt, 46 on the east side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites. He lived at Heshbon and Moses and the children of Israel defeated him, after they had come from Egypt, 47 and they took possession of his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan toward sunrise, 48 from Aroer which is on the bank of the river Arnon, to mount Sion, which is Hermon, 49 and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan to the sea of the plain, below the springs of Pisgah.

16 “Honour your father and your mother, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live a long time and that it may go well with you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

And Moses called all Israel, and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing this day, so that you may learn them, and keep, and do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all of us who are alive here this day. 4 The LORD talked with you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire 5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to report to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up on the mountain), saying,

17 “You shall not commit murder.

18 “You shall not commit adultery.

19 “You shall not steal.

20 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

21 “You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, and you shall not covet your neighbour’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”

6 “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

22 These words the LORD spoke to your whole assembly on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice, and he added nothing more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone, and handed them over to me.

7 “You shall have no other gods besides me.

8 “You shall not make for yourselves any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth below or that is in the

knowledge (vs 35,39; Ex 8:10; 9:4; Isa 43:10-12; 44:6-8; 45:5-7), for their discipline (v 36; Deut 8:5; 2 Sam 7:14; Prov 3:12; Heb 12:6; Rev 3:19), and for a demonstration of God’s love (v 37; Deut 7:7,8; 10:15; 33:3).

4:41-43 Num 35:9-15. 4:48,49 “Sion” – or “Sirion” or “Siyon.” “Sea of the plain” is the Dead Sea. 5:2-5 Ex 19:1-6,16,21-24. 5:6-21 Notes at Ex 20:1-17. 5:22 Ex 24:12; 31:8.

231 DEUTERONOMY 6:5

23 And it came about, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, that you, that is all the heads of your tribes and your elders, approached me, 24 and you said, “See, the LORD our God has showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire. Today we have seen that God talks with man, yet he lives. 25 So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we will die. 26 For among all flesh who is there who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 You go near, and hear all that the LORD our God says, and tell us all that the LORD our God speaks to you; and we will hear it, and do it.”

you all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which you are to teach them, so that they may do them in the land which I give them as a possession.”

32 Therefore you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may live a long time in the land which you will possess.

Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, so that you might do them in the land that you will cross over to possess, 2 so that you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may long continue. 3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and observe to do it, so that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, just as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey.

28 And the LORD heard what you said when you spoke to me; and the LORD said to me, “I have heard what this people said, what they have spoken to you. Everything they have said is good. 29 Oh, that there was such a heart in them, that they would fear me and always keep all my commandments, so that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!

30 “Go say to them, ‘Go back to your tents.’ 31 But as for you, stand here with me, and I will tell

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; 5 and you shall love the LORD your God

5:25 Ex 20:18,19. 5:26 4:33. 5:29 Ps 81:13; Isa 48:18; Ex 18:30-32. God wants men to be holy, righteous, and good. In the beginning He made them so (Gen 1:31). But men now corrupted by sin must choose to be holy, righteous, and good (though their own will and strength will not make them so). They must repent and seek God. If they refuse to do this they will never have a heart to fear God and keep His commandments. Notes on the fear of God at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 1:7. 5:31 Ex 24:12. 5:32 17:20; 28:14; Josh 1:7; 23:6; Prov 4:27. 5:33 10:12; Jer 7:23; Luke 1:6. 6:2 “Fear the LORD” – Gen 20:11; Ps 34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 1:7. “May long continue” – a reward for obedience under the law, but not now under grace. 6:4 Many pious Jews still recite verses 4 and 5 daily, considering them of the utmost importance in the revelation God has given.

word. See note at Ex 3:14,15). However it is translated, we should understand that this verse is not in opposition to the truth of the Trinity, which is revealed in both the Old and New Testaments (see Matt 3:16,17; 28:19; etc). The same word translated “one” in this verse is used also in Gen 2:24 to indicate the union of two persons in “one flesh.” Marriage is the union of two persons as one. The Trinity is the much closer union of three persons as one God, one LORD. Compare Matt 28:19; etc. 6:5 The Lord Jesus called the words of this verse the greatest of all the commandments (Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). Love is the fulfilling of the whole law (Rom 13:10; Gal 5:14). Some who have misunderstood the Bible have called God as revealed in the Old Testament a harsh and unloving God, and God as revealed in the Lord Jesus in the New Testament a God of love. This is a huge mistake. There is only one God and He is revealed in both Old Testament and New Testament as a God who loves people and who wants their love in return (Ex 34:6; Deut 7:7,8; Ps 86:15; 103:8; John 3:16; Rom 2:4; 1 John 4:7,8). If we do not love the God revealed in the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, we do not love God at all, and all our religion is a vain and empty thing.

“The LORD our God is one LORD” – this means that there is no other LORD but the one who revealed Himself to the nation Israel. Other translations of the Hebrew here have been suggested as possible, such as “The LORD (Jehovah) is our God, the LORD alone” (compare Isa 43:10-13; 44:6; 45:18), or “The LORD is our God, the LORD is one.” LORD (all capital letters) in this version always indicates Jehovah or Yahweh (as some transliterate the Hebrew

The two greatest commands of the law are about love. This one in v 5 and the one in Lev 19:18. God is also a holy God who punishes sin and sinners and this too is revealed in both Old and New Testaments.

DEUTERONOMY 6:6 232

with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart, 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the road, and when you lie down, and when you get up. 8 And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as something tied on your foreheads. 9 And you shall write them on the posts of your house, and on your gates.

and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to your fathers, 19 by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has said.

20 And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What is the meaning of the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God has commanded you?” 21 Then you shall say to your son, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, and the LORD brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand, 22 and before our eyes the LORD showed great and terrible signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh, and against all his household; 23 and he brought us from there, so that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers. 24 And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, so that he might keep us alive, as it is today. 25 And it will be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments in the presence of the LORD our God, just as he has commanded us.”

10 And when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you great and fine cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of everything good which you did not fill, and dug wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, when you have eaten and are satisfied, 12 then you must watch out that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

13 You shall fear the LORD your God, and serve him, and take your oaths in his name. 14 You shall not go after other gods, gods of the people who are around you, 15 so that the anger of the LORD your God does not burn against you, and destroy you from off the face of the earth; for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you. 16 You shall not tempt the LORD your God, as you tempted him in Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right

When the LORD your God has brought you into the land where you are going to possess it, and has driven out many nations before you, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them up to you, you must strike them down and completely destroy them. You must make no covenant with them, or show mercy

Deuteronomy 6:4,5 teaches a truth continually emphasized in the Bible – there is only one God and He is the God revealed in the Bible as the God of Israel; the God who later in history came as a man in the Lord Jesus to redeem men (Deut 4:35,39; Isa 43:10-12; 44:6-8; 45:5-7; Rom 3:29,30; 1 Cor 8:4; 2 Cor 5:19; Col 2:9; 1 Tim 1:17; 6:15,16; Jude 4,25; Rev 15:4). 6:6-9 The importance of obeying and learning and meditating on and teaching and constantly remembering the word of God cannot be emphasized too much (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2; 119:1; Luke 11:28; John 8:31; 15:7; Col 3:16). “Teach. . .to your children” – 4:9; 11:19; Ps 78:4; Eph 6:4).

careful in the object of their worship, and that only Jehovah, the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, the Creator of the universe should be worshiped and served. The Hebrew word here translated “serve” also means “worship.” 6:14,15 Verses 4,5; Ex 24:17; Deut 4:24. Where there is real love there will be true jealousy of anything that would turn the heart of the loved one away or corrupt the loved one. 6:16 Part of this verse too was quoted by the Lord Jesus when He was tempted by Satan (Matt 4:7). The event at Massah reveals what testing God means. See Ex 17:1-7. 6:20-24 It is extremely important for parents to teach children the meaning of the Word of God (v 7; Eph 6:4). 6:25 Rom 10:5. 7:1 These nations were not small tribes living in the forest. They were a strong and numerous people, more powerful and with a more highly developed civilization than Israel. 7:2 Notes at Gen 6:7 and Lev 18:24,25.

“Bind them” – 11:18; Prov 3:3; 6:21; 7:3. “Write them” – 11:20. 6:10,11 The peoples who inhabited Canaan before Israel had a well-developed civilization (9:1; Josh 24:13). 6:13 Part of this verse was quoted by the Lord Jesus when He was being tempted by the devil (Matt 4:10). By doing so He emphasized the truth that men must be very

233 DEUTERONOMY 7:26

to them. 3 And you must not intermarry with them. You must not give your daughter to his son, or take his daughter for your son. 4 For they will turn your son away from following me, so that they will serve other gods; and the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and suddenly destroy you. 5 But this is how you must deal with them: you must destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their sacred groves, and burn their idols with fire. 6 For you are a holy people for the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a special people for himself, above all people who are on the face of the earth.

shall be blessed above all people. No male or female among you, or among your livestock, will be barren. 15 And the LORD will take away all sickness from you, and will not put on you any of the malignant diseases of Egypt, which you know, but will put them on all those who hate you. 16 And you must destroy all the people whom the LORD your God hands over to you. Your eye must not pity them. And you must not serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.

17 If you say in your heart, “These nations are more numerous than I; how can I drive them out?”, 18 you must not be afraid of them, but must well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh, and to all Egypt, 19 the great trials which your eyes saw, and the signs and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. In the same way the LORD your God will do to all the people of whom you are afraid. 20 The LORD your God will also send the hornet among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you, are destroyed. 21 You must not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is among you, a mighty and awesome God.

7 The LORD did not set his love on you, or choose you, because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people. 8 But because the LORD loved you and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Therefore know that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God, who, to a thousand generations, keeps covenant and mercy with those who love him and keep his commandments, 10 and repays those who hate him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slow concerning the one who hates him; he will repay him to his face. 11 Therefore you shall keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command you this day to do them.

22 And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little. You will not be permitted to destroy them all at once, so that the beasts of the field do not increase against you. 23 But the LORD your God will hand them over to you, and throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. 24 And he will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will destroy their name from under heaven. No man will be able to stand before you, until you have destroyed them. 25 You must burn the idols of their gods in the fire. You must not desire the silver or gold that is on them, or take it for yourselves, so that you are not snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. 26 And you must not bring an abomination into your house, so you will not become a cursed

12 So it will come about, if you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD your God will keep the covenant and the mercy toward you which he swore to your fathers; 13 and he will love you, and bless you, and increase your numbers. He will also bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your land, your grain, and your wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle, and your flocks of sheep, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You

7:3 Ex 34:15,16; Josh 23:12. 7:4 This is the worst possible thing that could happen to Israel. See notes on God’s anger at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. 7:5 God hates idolatry like poison (Ex 23:24; 34:13). “Groves” – or “Asherah poles” – symbols of the goddess Asherah. 7:6 4:20; 14:2,21; Ex 19:5,6; Ps 135:4; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9. 7:7 10:22; Gen 46:27. 7:8 He loved them, not because they were good or wise or numerous or strong, or because they had great love for him (actually none of these things was true of them), but simply because He loved them (Jer 31:3). 7:9 Ex 20:6; Isa 49:7; Dan 9:4; 1 Cor 1:9; 1 Thess 5:24; 2 Tim 2:13.

7:10 Isa 59:18; Nahum 1:2. In other words, He deals with all men in perfect justice. 7:13 Ps 146:8; Prov 15:9; John 14:21. 7:15 Ex 15:26; 3 John 2. 7:16 Gen 6:7 – note. 7:17-19 See v 1. Their confidence was not to be in themselves but in God alone. 7:20 Ex 23:28; Josh 24:12. 7:21 “Among you” – Ex 25:8; 29:45; Josh 3:10; etc. “Awesome” – Deut 10:17; Neh 1:5; 9:32. The KJV has “terrible” here – a word that now conveys the wrong meaning to most readers today. 7:22 Ex 23:29,30. 7:24 Josh 1:5; 6:2; 10:8,23-25; 23:9. 7:25,26 See v 5. Anything connected with idolatry is an abomination to the one true God.

DEUTERONOMY 8:1 234

thing like it; but you must utterly detest it and utterly abhor it; for it is an accursed thing.

in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you may dig copper.

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, then you must praise the LORD your God for the good land which he has given you. 11 Watch out that you do not forget the LORD your God, by not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command you this day, 12 so that when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built fine houses, and lived in them, 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold increase, and all that you have increases, 14 your heart will not become proud, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, 15 who led you through that great and terrible desert where there were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought without water, who brought water for you out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the desert with manna, which your fathers did not know, so that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in your later times. 17 Watch out that you do not say in your heart, “My power and the strength of my hand have gotten me this wealth.” 18 But you must remember the LORD your God; for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

You must be careful to do all the commandments which I command you this day, so that you may live, and increase in number, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2 And you must remember all the way which the LORD your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

3 And he humbled you, and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, and your fathers did not know, so that he might cause you to know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by every word that comes out of the mouth of the LORD.

4 These forty years your clothes on you did not become old, and your feet did not swell. 5 You must also consider in your heart, that just as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

6 Therefore you must keep the commandments of the LORD your God to walk in his ways and to fear him. 7 For the LORD your God brings you into a good land, a land of streams of water, of wells and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8 a land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; 9 a land where you will eat bread without scarcity,

19 And it will come about if you at all forget the LORD your God, and go after other gods and serve

8:1-5 These verses give us some very important truth. Part of verse 3 was quoted by the Lord Jesus in Matt 4:4. Verse 2 indicates that remembrance is an aid to faith and piety. The book of Deuteronomy is a book of remembrance, and several times it emphasizes the importance of the people remembering what they were and what God had done. See 5:15; 7:18; 9:7; 15:15; 16:3,12; 24:9,22; 32:7. Forgetting God or His works is a very serious matter and would bring on them great trouble – 4:9,23,31; 6:12; 8:11,14,19; 25:19; 32:18. See also Jud 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Ps 50:22; 78:11; 106:13,21; Isa 17:10; Jer 2:32; 23:27; Hos 2:13; etc. The New Testament also speaks of the importance of remembering – Luke 24:6; John 15:20; 16:4; Acts 20:31; 2 Cor 9:6; Eph 2:11,12; 2 Tim 2:8; Heb 10:32; Jam 5:20; 2 Pet 1:15; Jude 17; Rev 2:5; 3:3. God led His people through the desert of Sinai for at least five very good reasons:

obeying the Word of God (v 3),

fifth, to discipline them for their good that they might become strong, spiritual, obedient children (v 5).

All this was because of the great love He had for them. Welcome any desert than can help to accomplish such blessed results! God is now doing this same work by leading believers through the desert of this world (Heb 12:1-13). All that happens to believers is for this reason. 8:3 “Mouth of the LORD” – where are these words that have come from the mouth of the Lord? In the Bible and nowhere else. The Lord Jesus quoted part of this verse when He was being tempted by the devil (Matt 4:4). By doing so He forever emphasized the importance of the whole of God’s Word for the true life of man. 8:10-14 Abundance has its perils too. Especially there is the danger of pride and hardness of heart (Prov 30:8,9; Ezek 28:5; Hos 13:6; Matt 13:22; Mark 10:22,23; Rev 3:17,18). Far better a life of faith lived in poverty than a life of abundance and forgetting God. 8:16 Ex 16:15. Notes on testing at Gen 22:1; Ps 66:10-12. 8:19,20 If Israel fell into idolatry the penalty would be destruction, just as it was with the nations before them.

first, to humble them (vs 2,3), second, to test them (vs 2,16), third, to make known the condition of their heart (v 2),

fourth, to make them understand the exceedingly important spiritual truth that man’s true life is found in hearing and

235 DEUTERONOMY 9:24

the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you will surely perish. 20 You will perish just as the nations which the LORD destroys before your face, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God.

11 And it came about at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. 12 And the LORD said to me, “Get up and quickly go down from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves . They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made an idol of cast metal for themselves.”

Hear, O Israel! You are to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and stronger than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2 a people great and tall, the children of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, “Who can stand before the children of Anak!” 3 Therefore today understand that the LORD your God is the one who goes over before you. He will destroy them like a consuming fire, and bring them down before your face. So you will drive them out, and destroy them quickly, just as the LORD has said to you.

13 The LORD spoke to me further, saying, “I have seen this people, and, look, it is a stiff-necked people. 14 Let me alone, so that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation stronger and greater than they.”

15 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And I looked, and saw that you had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made a calf of cast metal for yourselves. You had turned aside quickly from the way which the LORD had commanded you. 17 And I took the two tablets, and threw them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes.

4 After the LORD your God has driven them out from before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” It is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD drives them out from before you. 5 You are not going in to possess their land because of your righteousness or because of the uprightness of your heart, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and so that he may fulfil the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 So understand that the LORD your God does not give you this good land to possess because of your righteousness; for you are a stiff-necked people.

18 And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, for forty days and forty nights. I did not eat bread or drink water, because of all your sins which you had committed, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 19 For I was afraid of the LORD’s anger and hot displeasure with which he was wrathful against you to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me at that time also. 20 And the LORD was angry enough with Aaron to have destroyed him; and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. 21 And I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire, and crushed it, and ground it up very small, until it was as fine as dust. And I threw its dust into the stream that came down from the mountain.

7 Remember, and do not forget, how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the desert. From the day that you left the land of Egypt, until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD. 8 Also in Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry enough with you to have destroyed you. 9 When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. I did not eat bread or drink water. 10 And the LORD entrusted to me two stone tablets written with the finger of God; and what was written on them was in accordance with all the words which the LORD spoke with you on

22 And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth Hattaavah, you provoked the LORD to wrath. 23 Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadesh-Barnea, saying, “Go up and possess the land which I have given you”, then you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God, and you did not believe or listen to his voice. 24 You have been rebellious against the LORD from the

17:3; 32:1; Num 11:1; 14:1-4; 16:41; 20:2-5; 25:1-3. We are no better than they by nature. But let us find better things through Christ. 9:8-21 Ex 32:1-35; 34:28. 9:22,23 Ex 17:7; Num 11:3,34; 14:1-4. 9:24 This is the story of all mankind as well as Israel’s history.

9:1 7:1. 9:2 Num 13:22,28,33; Josh 11:21,22. 9:3 31:3; Josh 3:11; Heb 12:29. 9:4,5 Lev 18:24 (note). 9:6 They had nothing to boast about in self. The promised land was a gift. Compare Eph 2:8,9; Titus 3:4-7. 9:7 Ex 14:10-12; 15;23,24; 16:2,3;

DEUTERONOMY 9:25 236

to serve him, and to bless in his name, as it is to this day. 9 Therefore Levi has no part or inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him.)

day that I knew you.

25 So I prostrated myself before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I prostrated myself at the first, because the LORD had said he would destroy you. 26 Therefore I prayed to the LORD, and said, “O Lord God, do not destroy your people and your inheritance, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not look at the stubbornness of this people, or to their wickedness, or to their sin, 28 or else the land from which you brought us out will say, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to kill them in the desert.’ 29 Yet they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out by your mighty power and by your stretched out arm.”

10 And I stayed on the mountain like the first time for forty days and forty nights; and the LORD listened to me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy you. 11 And the LORD said to me, “Arise, set out before the people, so that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”

12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 to keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good?

14 Look, the heaven and the heaven of heavens belongs to the LORD your God, also the earth with everything that is in it. 15 Yet the LORD set his affection on your fathers to love them, and he chose their offspring after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise your heart, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, a great, mighty and awe-inspiring God who does not show partiality or take a bribe. 18 He executes judgment for the fatherless and widow, and shows love for the foreigner by giving him food and clothes. 19 Therefore you are to love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20 You must fear the LORD your God; you must serve him, and cling to him, and take oaths by his name. 21 He is your praise, and he is your God who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring things, which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons; and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

At that time the LORD said to me, “Cut two stone tablets like the first, and come up to me on the mountain; and make an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.”

3 And I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two tablets of stone like the first, and went up on the mountain, having the two tablets in my hand. 4 And he wrote on the tablets, like the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spoke to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me. 5 And I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and they are there, just as the LORD commanded me. 6 (And the children of Israel set out from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan for Mosera. There Aaron died, and there he was buried. And Eleazar his son served as priest in his place. 7 From there they went to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbath, a land of streams of water. 8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD

Therefore you must love the LORD your God, and always keep his requirements, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments. 2 And this day you know (for I am

9:25-29 Ex 32:11-13. 10:1-4 Ex 34:1-4,28. 10:5 Ex 40:20. 10:8 Num 3:6; 18:1-7. 10:12,13 Mic 6:8; 1 Tim 1:5. God requires of men reverence, obedience, love and hearty service. But how few give these to Him. 10:14 1 Kings 8:27; Neh 9:6; Ps 24:1; 68:33. 10:15 4:37; 7:7,8. 10:16 “Circumcise your heart” – compare

30:6 where the Lord says He will do this for them. See also Jer 4:4 (note); Acts 7:51. 10:17 Rev 19:16. 10:18 Ex 22:22-24; Ps 68:5; 146:9. 10:19 Lev 19:34. 10:20 “Fear” – see notes on the fear of God at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 1:7. “Cling to him” – Deut 11:22; 13:4. 10:21 Ps 109:1; 148:14. 10:22 1:10; Gen 46:27. 11:1 10:12,13.

237 DEUTERONOMY 11:30

not speaking to your children who have not known and have not seen the discipline of the LORD your God), his greatness, his mighty hand and his stretched out arm, 3 and his miracles and his deeds which he did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to all his land, 4 and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, and how he made the water of the Red Sea to flow over them as they pursued you, and how the LORD brought destruction on them lasting to this day, 5 and what he did to you in the desert until you came to this place, 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, how the earth opened her mouth and, in the middle of all Israel, swallowed them up with their households and their tents and all the substance that they had. 7 For your eyes have seen all the great deeds of the LORD which he did.

deceived, and you turn away and serve other gods and worship them. 17 For if you do, the LORD’s wrath will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the LORD gives you. 18 Therefore you must store up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and tie them as a sign on your hand, that they may be as frontlets on your forehead. 19 And you must teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates, 21 so that the number of your days and the days of your children may be increased in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

8 Therefore you must keep all the commandments which I command you this day, so that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land, where you are going to possess it; 9 and that you may live a long time in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land that flows with milk and honey. 10 For the land which you go in to possess is not like the land of Egypt, which you came out from, where you sowed your seed, and watered it with your foot, like a vegetable garden. 11 But the land, where you are going to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water from the rain of heaven; 12 a land which the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

22 For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you, doing them, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and clinging to him, 23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and stronger nations than yourselves. 24 Every place the soles of your feet tread on will be yours. Your territory will be from the desert to Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, to the western sea. 25 No man will be able to stand before you; for the LORD your God will put the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you tread on, just as he has said to you.

26 See, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 a blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day, 28 and a curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which you have not known. 29 And this is to be done when the LORD your God has brought you into the land where you are going to possess it: you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, on the way toward the setting sun, in the land of

13 And it will come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 that I will give rain for your land in its due season, the early rain and the later rain, so that you can harvest your grain, and your wine, and your oil. 15 And I will give grass in your fields for your livestock, so that you may eat and be satisfied.

16 Watch yourselves, so that your heart is not

11:3 Ex 7:8-21. 11:4 Ex 14:28. 11:6 Num 16:1-35. 11:12 1 Kings 9:3. 11:13-15 Obedience to God brings great rewards. 11:16 Heb 3:12; 12:25. 11:17 Rain is a gift of God which He may withhold in anger against idolatry and false worship. Notes on God’s anger at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. 11:18-21 Note at 6:6-9. 11:24 Josh 1:3. “Western sea” – the

Mediterranean. 11:26-28 30:1,19; 28:1-14; 28:1568. No one can ever get a true blessing from any god, but only from the one true God, the Creator, the God of the Bible. Whatever might seem like blessings derived from the worship of other gods are false and deluding and will result in a curse at last, as God Himself says. Sometimes in mercy the true God gives what people need, even though they pray to false gods. 11:29 Josh 8:33.

DEUTERONOMY 11:31 238

the Canaanites who live in the plain opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? 31 For you will cross over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you will possess it and live in it. 32 And you must be careful to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.

do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see, 14 but you must offer your burnt offerings in the place which the LORD chooses in one of your tribal territories, and there you must do all that I command you.

15 However you may kill and eat meat inside all your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which he gives you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as if it were gazelle or deer. 16 But you must not eat the blood; you must pour it on the ground like water. 17 You must not eat the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil or the firstborn of your herds or of your flock, or any of your vows which you make or your freewill offerings or the contribution of your hands, inside your gates, 18 but you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter and your male servant and your female servant and the Levite who is inside your gates. And you shall rejoice in the presence of the LORD your God in all that you put your hands to. 19 Watch yourself that you do not abandon the Levite as long as you live on the earth.

These are the statutes and judgments which you must be careful to do in the land which the LORD God of your fathers gives you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You must utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you will dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 3 And you must throw down their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their sacred groves with fire. And you must cut down the idols of their gods, and destroy their names from that place.

4 You must not act so toward the LORD your God, 5 but you must seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God chooses out of all your tribes to put his name there, at his dwelling place. You must come there, 6 and you must bring there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes and the contribution of your hands, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn from your herds and from your flocks. 7 And there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, and rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, where the LORD your God has blessed you.

20 When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, “I will eat meat”, because you long to eat meat, you may eat meat, whatever you desire. 21 If the place which the LORD your God chooses to put his name is too far from you, then you may slaughter animals from your herd and from your flock which the LORD gives you, as I have commanded you, and eat inside your gates whatever you desire. 22 You may eat them just as the gazelle and deer are eaten; the unclean and the clean alike may eat them. 23 But be sure that you do not eat the blood; for the blood is the life; and you may not eat the life with the meat. 24 You must not eat it; you must pour it on the ground like water. 25 You must not eat it, so that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, as you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.

8 You must not do at all what we are doing here this day, each man whatever is right in his own eyes. 9 For you have not yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the LORD your God gives you. 10 But when you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you live in safety, 11 then there will be a place which the LORD your God will choose to have his name dwell there. There you must bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hands, and all your choice vows which you make to the LORD. 12 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you, and your sons and your daughters and your male servants and your female servants and the Levite who is inside your gates, since he has no part or inheritance with you. 13 Watch yourself that you

26 But you must take your holy things which you have, and your vows, and go to the place which the LORD chooses. 27 And you must offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God. And the blood of your sacrifices must be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, and you may eat the meat. 28 Be careful to hear all these words which I command you, so that it may go well with you, and with

12:2,3 The very first duty Israel had after conquering Canaan was to cleanse it of all idols and false worship. 12:5-14 Ex 20:24; 2 Chron 7:12; Ps 78:68. 12:15 Acts 10:9-14; Rom 14:2,3;

1 Tim 4:4,5. 12:16 Gen 9:4; Lev 17:10-12; Acts 15:20,29. 12:19 14:27. 12:27 Lev 1:9,13.

239 DEUTERONOMY 13:15

your children after you forever, as you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.

bondage. He has tried to turn you out of the way which the LORD your God commanded you to walk in. So shall you purge the evil from among you.

29 When the LORD your God cuts off the nations from before you, where you are going to dispossess them, and you succeed them and live in their land, 30 watch yourself that you are not snared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not enquire about their gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I will do just the same way.” 31 You must not act so toward the LORD your God. For they have done for their gods everything abominable to the LORD, what he hates. For they have burned even their sons and their daughters in the fire for their gods.

6 If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is like your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods,” which neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 of the gods of the people who are around you, near you or at a distance from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, 8 you must not consent to him or listen to him; and your eye must not pity him, and you must not spare him, and you must not conceal him; 9 but you must surely kill him. Your hand must be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10 And you must stone him with stones so that he dies, because he has tried to turn you away from the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 11 And all Israel will hear and fear, and will no longer commit such wickedness as this among you.

32 Be careful to do whatever I command you. You must not add to it or take away from it.

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and designates to you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes about, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, “Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You must follow the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you must serve him and cling to him. 5 And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams must be put to death, because he has spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of

12 If you hear in any of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to live in, someone saying, 13 “Certain men, children of Belial, have gone out from among you and drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods”, whom you have not known, 14 then you must inquire and search and thoroughly investigate, and then if you see that it is the truth and if it is certain that such abomination is done among you, 15 you must certainly strike down the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, completely destroying it and everything that is in

12:31 Lev 18:21; Deut 18:10; Ps 106:37; Jer 32:35. 12:32 Prov 30:6; Rev 22:18. 13:1-3 “Prophet” – note at Gen 20:7. “Dreams” – dreams in themselves, of course, are not revelations of God’s truth. Sometimes God may reveal truth in dreams, but the devil may try to teach something false through them. Notice here that a false prophet also may get dreams which seem to be revelations from God and which are actually fulfilled. Other notes on dreams at Gen 15:12; Num 12:6. A false prophet will try to turn people from the truth revealed in the Bible (v 2). 13:3 “Testing” – 8:2,26; Gen 22:1; Ps 66:10-12; Jam 1:2-4,12; 1 Pet 1:6,7; 4:12,13. No believer will live in this world without being tested. 13:5 Such a false prophet is worthy of death because he is opposing the first command of the law (see note Ex 20:2,3). God Himself says that such action is an abomination (v 14). 13:6-11 The importance of God’s first command in the law is emphasized here. A

mother or father was to perform the sad duty of casting the first stone in putting to death a son or daughter who encouraged people to break that law (see note on law at Ex 19:21-25). This was the way of things under the law of Moses. Compare this with the picture of grace given in Luke 15:11-14. 13:12-18 To the one true God idolatry and the worship of false gods are so hateful that He commanded that whole towns and cities in Israel should be destroyed if their in habitants engaged in such things. God knew that false worship permitted in one town could spread to the whole nation and corrupt it. A cancer in the body must be destroyed or it will destroy the whole body. And God knows perfectly well how to deal with the body of a nation. And such commands as this came out of His great love for the people as a whole. We should clearly understand the intimate connection between God’s anger and His love and holiness. During this age of grace Christians are not, of course, to destroy towns and people. Their work is entirely different (preaching the Gospel of Christ).

DEUTERONOMY 13:16 240

it, and its livestock, with the edge of the sword. 16 And you must gather all its plunder into the middle of its street, and burn the city with fire and all its plunder, every bit of it, for the LORD your God. And it is to be a heap forever. It must not be rebuilt. 17 And none of the accursed thing is to cling to your hand, so that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you, and increase your number, as he has sworn to your fathers, 18 as you listen to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all his commandments which I command you this day, to do what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

stork and every kind of heron and the lapwing and the bat.

19 And all the teeming things that fly are unclean for you; they must not be eaten. 20 But you may eat every clean bird.

21 You must not eat anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the foreigner who is inside your gates, so that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people for the LORD your God. You must not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

22 You must tithe all the produce from your seed that the field yields year by year. 23 And you must eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herds and of your flocks, in the presence of the LORD your God, in the place which he chooses to put his name there, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, or if the place which the LORD your God chooses to put his name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, 25 then you shall turn it into money, and secure the money in your hands and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses; 26 and you shall spend that money for whatever you desire, for oxen or for sheep or for wine or for strong drink or for whatever you desire, and eat there in the presence of the LORD your God, and rejoice, you and your household, 27 and the Levite who is inside your gates. You must not neglect him, for he has no portion or inheritance among you.

You are the children of the LORD your God. You must not cut yourselves, or shave the hair on your forehead because of the dead. 2 For you are a holy people for the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a special people for himself, above all the nations that are on the earth.

3 You must not eat any abominable thing. 4 These are the beasts which you may eat: the ox, the sheep and the goat, 5 the deer and the gazelle and the roe deer and the wild goat and the ibex and the antelope and the mountain sheep. 6 And you may eat any animal that divides the hoof and has the hoof split in two, and chews the cud among the animals. 7 However of those that chew the cud, or of those that divide the hoof in two, you must not eat these: the camel and the rabbit, and the coney; for they chew the cud but do not divide the hoof; therefore they are unclean for you. 8 And the pig, because it divides the hoof, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcass.

28 At the end of three years you must bring all the tithe of your produce in that year, and store it inside your gates; 29 and the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), and the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, who are inside your gates, shall come and eat and be satisfied, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work which your hands do.

9 Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: all that have fins and scales you may eat. 10 But you must not eat anything that does not have fins and scales; it is unclean for you.

11 You may eat any of the clean birds. 12 But you must not eat of these: the eagle and the vulture and the osprey 13 and the glede and the kite and every kind of buzzard 14 and every kind of raven 15 and the owl and the night hawk and the cuckoo and every kind of hawk, 16 the little owl and the great owl and the swan 17 and the pelican and the gier eagle and the cormorant 18 and the

At the end of every seven years you must make a cancellation of debts. 2 And the cancellation should be like this: every creditor who lends anything to his neighbour must cancel it; he must not require it from his neighbour, or from his brother, because it is called the LORD’s cancellation. 3 You may require repayment from a

But at the end of this age God Himself will arise in anger and judge all who have practiced false worship (2 Thess 1:6-9; 2:8-12; Jude 14,15; Revelation chapter 16; 21:8). And this He will do for the good of the universe as a whole. 14:1 John 1:12; Rom 8:16; 9:8,26; Gal 3:26; 1 John 3:1. 14:2 Ex 19:5; Lev 20:26; Deut 7:6; 26:18.

14:3-21 Note on Lev 11:2-33. 14:22 Lev 27:30; Deut 12:6,17; Neh 10:37; Mal 3:8-10. 14:23 12:5. 14:27 10:9; 12:12; 18:2; Num 18:20. 14:29 If they wanted God’s blessing they had to provide for the needs of God’s servants. Note and references on giving at 2 Cor 9:15. 15:3 23:20. Those who did not worship the

241 DEUTERONOMY 16:7

foreigner, but your hand must cancel what is yours with your brother. 4 However there should be no poor among you, for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you will listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to be careful to do all these commandments which I command you this day. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you, just as he promised you; and you will lend to many nations but you will not borrow, and you will reign over many nations but they will not reign over you.

shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And you shall do the same to your female slave also.

18 It must not seem hard to you when you set him free from you, for by serving you for six years he has been worth double the service of a hired servant to you. And the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.

19 You must set apart for the LORD your God all the firstborn males that come from your herd and from your flock; you must do no work with the firstborn of your bull, or shear the firstborn of your sheep. 20 You must eat it in the presence of the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD chooses, you and your household. 21 And if there is any blemish in it, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish, you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. 22 You must eat it inside your gates. The unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as a gazelle or a deer. 23 But you must not eat its blood; you must pour it on the ground like water.

7 If there is among you a poor man of one of your brethren inside any of your gates in your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, or close up your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you must open your hand wide to him and must lend him sufficient for his need, for that which he lacks. 9 Watch out so that there will not be an evil thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of cancellation, is at hand”, and your eye becomes hostile against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cries out to the LORD against you, and you become guilty of sin. 10 You must give to him, and your heart must not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works, and in all that you put your hand to. 11 For the poor shall never cease to be in the land. Therefore I command you, saying, You must open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and to your needy, in your land.

Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God; for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 Therefore you must sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to put his name. 3 You must eat no leavened bread with it; for seven days you must eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction; for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. Do this so that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. 4 And for seven days no unleavened bread is to be seen with you in your whole territory. And as for the meat which you sacrificed the first day at evening, there must not be any of it remaining all night until morning.

12 And if your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and serves you for six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free from you. 13 And when you set him free from you, you must not let him go away emptyhanded. 14 You must supply him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your winepress. You must give to him from what the LORD your God has blessed you with. 15 And you must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today.

5 You must not sacrifice the Passover inside any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, 6 but in the place which the LORD your God chooses to put his name. There you must sacrifice the Passover at evening, at sunset, at the season that you came out of Egypt. 7 And you shall roast and eat it in the place which the LORD your God

16 And if he says to you, “I will not go away from you,” because he loves you and your household, because he is well off with you, 17 then you

God of Israel were not to receive the benefits that Israel did. 15:4-11 The promise of the elimination of poverty was based on a condition – “if you obey.” However God knew they would not fully obey, so He gives directions for the support of the poor (Lev 25:35. Compare Matt 5:42; Luke 6:34; Gal 2:10; 1 John 3:17; etc.). 15:12-15 Note at Ex 21:2-6. This was

almost like payment for services they had given during the time of their slavery. 15:16,17 Ex 21:5,6. 15:19 Ex 13:2,12. 15:21 Lev 22:19-25; Deut 17:1; Mal 1:6-14. 15:23 Gen 9:4; Lev 7:26; 17:10. 16:1,2 Ex 12:2-13; Lev 23:5. 16:3,4 Ex 12:8,15,19,39; 13:3; 34:18. 16:5-8 This was a national festival. The people had to go to Jerusalem to sacrifice.

DEUTERONOMY 16:8 242

chooses. And in the morning you shall return to your tents. 8 For six days you must eat unleavened bread; and on the seventh day there will be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You must do no work on that day.

partiality or take a bribe; for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20 You must follow what is fully in accordance with justice, so that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God gives you.

9 Then you must count for yourselves seven weeks. Begin counting the seven weeks from the time that you begin putting the sickle to the grain. 10 And you must keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a tax of a freewill offering from your hand, which you must give to the LORD your God in accordance with how the LORD your God has blessed you. 11 And you shall rejoice in the presence of the LORD your God in the place where the LORD your God chooses to put his name, you and your son and your daughter and your male servant and your female servant and the Levite who is inside your gates and the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow who are among you. 12 And you must remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you must observe and do these statutes.

21 You must not plant for yourself a grove of any trees near the altar of the LORD your God, which you make for yourselves. 22 And you must not set up any idol for yourselves; the LORD your God hates this.

You must not sacrifice to the LORD your God any bull or sheep which has a blemish or any defect; for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.

2 If there is found among you, inside any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or woman who has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God, by breaking his covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, or the sun or moon or any of the starry host of heaven (I have commanded no such worship), 4 and it is told to you, or if you hear of it, and carefully investigate and see that it is true and certain that such abomination has been done in Israel, 5 then you must bring out to your gates that man or that woman who has done that wicked thing, and must stone that man or that woman with stones until they die. 6 The one who deserves death must be put to death by the testimony of two witnesses, or three witnesses, but he must not be put to death by the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses must first be on him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put evil away from among you.

13 You must observe the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days, after you have harvested your grain and your wine. 14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow who are inside your gates. 15 For seven days you must keep a solemn feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses; because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce, and in all the works of your hands, so you will surely rejoice.

16 Three times in a year all your males must appear before the LORD your God in the place which he chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they must not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17 Each man must give as he is able, in accordance with the blessing of the LORD your God which he gives you.

8 If any case arises too hard for you to judge, between bloodshed and bloodshed, between lawsuit and lawsuit, and between violence and violence, being controversial cases inside your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God chooses, 9 and you shall come to the priests the Levites, and to the judge that will be there in those days, and inquire; and they must pronounce the judgment to you. 10 And you must do according to the pronouncement which those of that place which the LORD chooses gives to you;

18 You must select judges and officers for yourselves inside all your gates which the LORD your God gives you, throughout your tribes. And they must judge the people with just judgment. 19 You must not pervert judgment; you must not show

16:9-12 Ex 23:16; 34:22; Lev 23:15. 16:13-15 Lev 23:34-43. 16:16 Ex 23:14-17; 34:23,24. 16:17 1 Cor 16:1,2; 2 Cor 8:1-4,9; 9:7-9. 16:19,20 The God of the Bible is just, and loves justice and commands it, and He will punish those who pervert it (Ex 23:2,8; Lev 19:15; Deut 1:17; 10:17; Prov 17:23; 24:23). 17:1 15:21.

17:2-7 Once again God says that false worship whether of idols or of sun, moon, and stars is “an abomination” and worthy of death.

“Starry host” – 4:19. 17:6 19:17; Num 35:30; Matt 18:16; John 8:17. 17:8-11 Difficult cases were to be decided in Jerusalem before the high priest or a judge.

243 DEUTERONOMY 18:17

and you must be careful to do according to all their instructions to you. 11 You must do according to the pronouncement of the law which they teach you, and according to the judgment which they tell you. You must not decline to the right hand or to the left from the pronouncement which they give you. 12 And the man who acts presumptuously and will not listen to the priest who stands to serve there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, that man must die; and you must put away evil from Israel. 13 And all the people will hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously.

brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as he has said to them.

3 And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 You shall also give him the firstfruits of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the wool from the first shearing of your sheep. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to serve in the name of the LORD, him and his sons forever.

14 When you have come to the land which the LORD your God gives you, and possess it and live in it, and say, “I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,” 15 you must set as king over you the one whom the LORD your God chooses. You must set as king over you one of your brethren. You must not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 And he must not multiply horses for himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt, so that he can multiply horses; for the LORD has said to you, “You are not to return that way again.” 17 And he must not multiply wives for himself, so that his heart does not turn away; and he must not greatly increase silver and gold for himself.

6 And if a Levite comes from any of your gates from any part of Israel where he has been staying, and arrives with complete earnestness at the place which the LORD chooses, 7 then he shall serve in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD. 8 They shall have equal portions to eat, besides that which comes from the sale of his family property.

9 When you arrive in the land which the LORD your God gives you, you must not learn to behave according to the abominations of those nations. 10 There must not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or uses divination, or is a sorcerer, or interprets omens, or practices witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or acts as a medium or a spiritist, or consults the dead. 12 For everyone who does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you. 13 You must be blameless in the presence of the LORD your God.

18 And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he must write for himself a copy of this law in a book from that which is with the priests the Levites; 19 and it is to be with him, and he must read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them, 20 so that his heart will not be lifted up above his brethren, and so that he does not turn aside from the commandments to the right hand, or to the left; then he will live a long time in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

14 For these nations, which you will dispossess, listen to those who use sorcery and divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. 15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among you, of your brethren. You must listen to him. 16 This is in accordance with all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Do not let me hear again the voice of the LORD my God, or see this great fire any more, so that I will not die.” 17 And the LORD said to me, “What they

The priests the Levites, and the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire and his share. 2 Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their

17:12,13 Num 15:30. 17:14,15 God who knows the future knew they would do this (1 Sam 8:5,19,20; 10:19). 17:16 1 Kings 4:26; 10:26-29; Ps 20:7. 17:17 2 Sam 5:13; 12:11; 1 Kings 11:3-5. 17:18-20 The Word of God is the only basis for a humble and just reign. 18:1 10:9; 1 Cor 9:13. 18:2 Num 18:20. 18:5 10:8; Ex 29:9. 18:9 9:5. 18:10 Ex 22:18; Lev 19:26,31; 20:6. “Pass through the fire” – this refers to

the custom of some of the nations around them who sacrificed their children in the fire to false gods. 18:11 Lev 19:31. 18:12-14 Witchcraft was one of the terrible sins that corrupted the peoples of Canaan and made it necessary for God to drive them out. Witchcraft involves dealing, consciously or unconsciously, with evil spirits. Christians must have nothing to do with it. 18:15-19 Note on “prophet” at Gen 20:7. These verses contain the great prophecy of Christ as prophet (compare Matt 21:11; Luke 7:16; 24:19; John 4:19; Acts 3:22-24).

DEUTERONOMY 18:18 244

have spoken is well said. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him. 19 And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to my words which he will speak in my name, I will require him to give an account. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”

command you, saying, “You must set apart three cities for yourselves.”

8 And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which he promised to give to your fathers, 9 if you keep and do all these commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God and to walk in his ways always, then you must add three more cities for yourselves, besides these three. 10 This is so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance; otherwise guilt concerning blood will be on you.

21 And if you say in your heart, “How can we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?” 22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or take place, the LORD has not spoken that word, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You must not be afraid of him.

11 But if anyone hates his neighbour, and lies in wait for him, and rises up against him and strikes him so that he dies, and flees into one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city must send men and bring him from there, and deliver him into the hands of the avenger of blood, so that he may die. 13 Your eye must not pity him, but you must put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may go well with you.

When the LORD your God has cut off the nations, whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you take their place and live in their cities and in their houses, 2 you must set apart three cities for you in the middle of your land which the LORD your God gives you to possess. 3 You must prepare the roads for yourselves, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, so that everyone who has killed another person may flee there.

14 You must not move your neighbour’s landmark which the ancestors set in your inheritance, which you inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess.

15 A single witness must not rise up against a man for any crime, or for any sin which he may have committed; the matter must be established by the testimony of two witnesses, or by the testimony of three witnesses.

4 And this is the case of the one who has kiilled another who flees there so that he can live: whoever unintentionally kills his neighbour whom he did not hate previously, 5 as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbour to cut wood, and his hand makes a swing with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head of the axe slips off the handle and strikes his neighbour and kills him, he shall flee to one of those cities, and live. 6 Otherwise the avenger of blood, in the heat of his anger, will pursue the one who has killed that person, and overtake him because the way is long, and kill him. But he is not deserving of death because he did not hate his neighbour previously. 7 Therefore I

16 If a false witness rises up against any man to testify against him about some wrongdoing, 17 then both the men who have the disagreement must stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be there in those days; 18 and the judges must make a careful investigation; and, then, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his brother, 19 then you must do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. In this way you must purge evil from among you. 20 And the rest will hear, and fear, and from then on not commit any such evil

Christ fulfilled all the great offices of the old covenant–priest, judge, king, mediator, shepherd, prophet. He is by far the greatest of all prophets who ever delivered God’s messages to men (Heb 1:1,2; John 7:16; 8:26,28,38; 12:49; 17:8; Rev 1:1; 22:18,19; Matt 17:3-5). With the prophecy called “The Revelation”, which Christ delivered to the churches, God’s inspired teachings for men is concluded (Rev 22:18,19). Thereafter God sent no more infallible prophets and teachers, for none was needed. In the Bible we have the complete revelation of what God wanted to teach men. 18:20 False prophets were of two kinds – those who spoke in the name of the LORD

(Jehovah) and those who spoke in the name of other gods. The former were more deceptive and dangerous, the latter more openly rebellious and contemptuous of the true God. 18:22 The test of a prophet is very clear (Jer 28:9). We know the Bible was written by true prophets of God because of the fulfillment of their prophecies. See note on fulfilled prophecies in the topical index in the back of this Bible. 19:1-10 Note on Num 35:9-32. 19:11 Ex 20:13; 21:12; 1 Kings 2:31. 19:16-20 Ex 23:1; Ps 27:12; 35:11; Matt 26:59-61. 19:19 Prov 19:5.

245 DEUTERONOMY 21:7

among you. 21 And your eye must not pity; but life must go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

shall take for yourself; and you shall eat the plunder of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you. 15 This is how you shall do to all the cities which are at a long distance from you, which are not among the cities of these nations.

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and a people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt is with you. 2 And this is the way it should be when you have come near the battle: the priest must approach and speak to the people, 3 and say to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you draw near to battle against your enemies. Do not let your hearts faint. Do not be afraid, and do not tremble, or be terrified because of them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

16 But concerning the cities of these people, which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you must not save anything alive that breathes, 17 but you must completely destroy them, just as the LORD your God has commanded you; that is, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; 18 so that they do not teach you to behave according to all their abominations, which they have done for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.

19 When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by taking an axe to them; for you can eat fruit from them; and you must not cut them down to use in the siege; for the trees of the field are for man’s benefit. 20 But as for the trees which you know are not trees for food, you may destroy and cut them down; and you may build siege-works against the city that is fighting against you, until it is subdued.

5 And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, “Who is the man that has built a new house, and not yet dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, or he may die in the battle, and another man will dedicate it. 6 And who is the man that has planted a vineyard, and has not yet eaten grapes from it? Let him also go and return to his house, or he may die in the battle, and another man will eat from it. 7 And who is the man that has become engaged to a woman, and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, or he may die in the battle, and another man will marry her.” 8 And the officers shall speak further to the people and say, “Who is the man that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, or the heart of his brethren may faint just as his heart.” 9 And it shall be, when the officers finish speaking to the people, that they appoint captains in the armies to lead the people.

If someone is found slain in the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who has killed him, 2 then your elders and your judges must come out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the one who has been slain. 3 And it must be done like this: the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer which has not been put to work and which has not pulled in the yoke, 4 and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with flowing water, which has not been plowed or sown, and break the heifer’s neck there in the valley; 5 and the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in the name of the LORD, and by their word every controversy and every act of violence must be settled. 6 And all the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that has its neck broken in the valley, 7 and they shall respond and say, “Our hands have not shed this blood, and our

10 When you come near a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. 11 And if it gives you an answer of peace and opens the gates to you, then it shall be like this: all the people who are found in it shall become forced labor for you, and shall serve you. 12 And if it will not make peace with you, but wars against you, then you shall besiege it; 13 and when the LORD your God has given it into your hands, you must strike every male in it with the edge of the sword; 14 but the women, and the little ones, and the livestock, and everything that is in the city, all its plunder, you

19:21 Note at Ex 21:23-25. 20:1-4 2 Chron 32:7,8; Ps 23:4; 118:6; Isa 41:10; Rom 8:31. 20:8 Jud 7:3. 20:11 1 Kings 9:21. 20:16-18 Note at Lev 18:24. As long as such people lived they would be a danger

to morality and true worship in Israel. 20:19,20 They were to protect the environment and not unnecessarily destroy it. 21:4 The heifer which had done no wrong died to remove the guilt and cleanse the land (compare 1 Pet 3:18). 21:6 Matt 27:24.

DEUTERONOMY 21:8 246

eyes have not seen it done. 8 Be merciful, O LORD, to your people Israel whom you have redeemed, and do not put innocent blood to the account of your people Israel.” And the bloodshed will be forgiven them. 9 In this way you must purge the guilt of innocent blood from among you, by doing what is right in the sight of the LORD.

all Israel will hear and be afraid.

22 And if a man has committed a sin deserving death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body must not remain all night on the tree, but you must bury him that day (for a hanged person is accursed by God), so that your land, which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, does not become defiled.

10 When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God has given them into your hands, and you have taken them captive, 11 and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her, to take her as your wife, 12 then you may bring her home to your house; and she must shave her head, and trim her nails, 13 and take off the clothes of her captivity, and remain in your house, mourning for her father and her mother for a full month. And after that you shall go in to her, and be her husband; and she shall be your wife. 14 And if it happens that you are not pleased with her, then you may let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not at all sell her for money, because you have humbled her; you must not make merchandise of her.

You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and ignore them. You must certainly bring them back to your brother. 2 And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it must remain with you until your brother looks for it, and you must give it back to him. 3 You must do the same way with his donkey, and do the same with his clothes, and do likewise with any lost thing of your brother which he has lost and you have found; you must not ignore it.

4 You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down by the road, and ignore them; you must certainly help him to lift them back up.

15 If a man has two wives, one loved and the other hated, and both of them, the loved and the hated, have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the one who is hated, 16 then, when it comes about that he causes his sons to inherit what he has, he must not make the son of the loved one the firstborn ahead of the son of the hated one who is, in fact, the firstborn. 17 But he must acknowledge the son of the hated one as the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

5 A woman must not wear what pertains to a man, and a man must not put on a woman’s garment; for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.

6 If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way in any tree or on the ground, if there are young ones or eggs, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, you must not take the mother with the young, 7 but you must certainly let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, so that it may be well with you, and that you may have a long life.

18 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and who will not listen to them even after they have punished him, 19 then his father and his mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of his place, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton, and a drunkard.” 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, so that he dies. In this way you must purge evil from among you; and

8 When you build a new house, then you must make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house by someone falling from there.

9 You must not sow different kinds of seed in your vineyard, so that the crop from your seed which you have sown, and the fruit of your vineyard, is not defiled.

10 You must not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

11 You must not wear a garment of wool and linen mixed together.

21:8 Num 35:33,34. 21:10-14 Even a woman captured from an enemy people must be treated with kindness and respect. 21:17 Gen 25:31; 49:3. 21:18-21 “So that he dies” – this was to be the punishment of a rebellious son under the law. The law was not given as a basis of compassion or forgiveness but to reveal sin and condemn it (Rom 3:19,20). Grace came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Compare these

verses with the story showing the prodigal son under grace – Luke 15:11-24. 21:22,23 Josh 8:29; 10:26,27; John 19:31; Gal 3:13. 22:1 Ex 23:4,5; Zech 7:9. God loves honesty, uprightness and kindness (Jer 9:24). 22:6,7 Does God care for birds? Yes (Gen 1:21; Ps 84:3; Matt 6:26; 10:29; Ps 145:9). How much more for people! (Matt 6:25,26; 10:30,31). 22:8-12 God was concerned with even the

247 DEUTERONOMY 23:6

12 You must make tassels for yourself on the four corners of your cloak, with which you cover yourself.

humbled his neighbour’s wife. In this way you shall purge evil from among you.

25 But if a man meets an engaged girl in the field, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die, 26 but you shall do nothing to the girl. There is no sin in the girl deserving death; for this matter is the same as when a man rises up against his neighbour and kills him. 27 For he met her in the field, and the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her.

13 If any man marries a woman, and goes in to her, and hates her, 14 and then uses abusive language about her, and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I went in to her I found out she was not a virgin.” 15 Then the father of the girl, and her mother, shall take the evidence of the girl’s virginity and bring them to the elders of the city in the gate; 16 and the girl’s father shall say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, and he hates her, 17 and now has used abusive language about her, saying, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But these are the evidences of my daughter’s virginity.” And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. 18 And the elders of that city must take that man and punish him, 19 and fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them to the father of the girl, because he has given a bad name to a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he must not divorce her all his days.

28 If a man meets a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered, 29 then the man who lay with her must give the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife. Because he has humbled her, he must not divorce her all his days.

30 A man must not take his father’s wife, or uncover his father’s garment.

He who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting in his private parts shall not enter the congregation of the LORD.

20 But if this thing is true, and the evidences of virginity are not found for the girl, 21 then they shall bring the girl out to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones until she dies, because she has committed an evil deed in Israel, by acting like a prostitute in her father’s house. In this way you must purge evil from among you.

2 No one born of an illegal union shall enter the congregation of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the congregation of the LORD.

3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the congregation of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to their tenth generation, shall ever enter the congregation of the LORD, 4 because they did not meet you with bread and water along the way when you came up out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loved you. 6 All your days you must never seek their peace or their prosperity.

22 If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die, both the man who lay with the woman and the woman. In this way you shall purge evil from Israel.

23 If a girl who is a virgin is engaged to a man, and another man meets her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring both of them out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them with stones until they die; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city; and the man, because he has

smallest details of their lives. 22:19 “A hundred shekels of silver” – a little more than 1 kilogram. 22:21-25 Lev 18:24-30; 20:10. 22:29 “Fifty shekels of silver” – about 0.6 kilogram. 22:30 Lev 18:8; 20:11; 1 Cor 5:1. 23:1 The people in that region and time sometimes mutilated themselves for their gods. This instruction was probably aimed at preventing the introduction of this heathen practice into Israel. 23:2 “One born of an illegal union” – many Jewish scholars believe that the Hebrew here indicates a child born of an adulterous or incestuous relationship – a relationship contrary to the laws laid down in Leviticus

chapters 18 and 20. The consequences of such a relationship were to be suffered until the tenth generation (compare Ex 20:5; 34:7). By such a command God is showing how terrible such sin is in His sight. 23:3,4 See Matt 25:41-46; Num 22:1-6. Failure to show ordinary kindness to the needy, and a desire to bring a curse on God’s people are both very grievous sins in God’s eyes. On sins of omission see Num 32:23; 1 Sam 12:23; Matt 25:24-27, 41-46; 1 Tim 5:8. 23:5 This was a display of God’s wonderful working on behalf of His people. See note at Gen 50:20. 23:6 This was commanded in this specific case because God was working out His

DEUTERONOMY 23:7 248

7 You must not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. You must not despise an Egyptian, because you were a foreigner in his land. 8 The third generation of children who are born to them may enter the congregation of the LORD.

21 When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you must not be slow to pay it. If you are, the LORD your God will surely require it from you, and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty of sin. 23 You must be careful to do according to what goes out of your lips, a voluntary offering, just as you have vowed to the LORD your God, which you have promised with your mouth.

9 When the army goes out against your enemies, then keep yourselves from every wicked thing. 10 If there is any man among you who is not clean because of uncleanness that happens to him at night, then he must go outside the camp. That day he must not come into the camp. 11 But it shall be like this : when evening comes, he must wash himself with water; and when the sun sets, he may come into the camp again.

24 When you enter your neighbour’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes as you wish until you are satisfied, but you must not put any in your container. 25 When you enter the standing grain of your neighbour, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you must not put a sickle to your neighbour’s standing grain.

12 Also you must have a place outside the camp where you go to relieve yourselves, 13 and you must have a spade with your equipment and it shall be, when you relieve yourself outside, you must dig a hole with it, and turn back and cover your excrement; 14 for the LORD your God walks about in your camp to protect you, and to deliver your enemies to you. Therefore your camp must be holy, so that he does not see any unclean thing among you and turn away from you.

When a man takes a woman and marries her, and it so happens that she is not pleasing in his eyes, because he has found something indecent in her, then let him write her a divorce certificate, give it into her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she has left his house, she may go and become another man’s wife. 3 And if this other husband hates her and writes her a divorce certificate, gives it into her hand and sends her out of his house, or if this other husband, who took her as his wife, dies, 4 her former husband, who sent her away, must not take her again as his wife, after she is defiled; for that is an abomination to the LORD; and you must not cause the land to sin, which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

15 You must not hand over to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you; 16 he shall live with you, among you, in the place he chooses inside one of your gates, wherever it pleases him most. You must not oppress him.

17 There must be no daughter of Israel who is a temple prostitute, or a son of Israel who is a temple prostitute. 18 You must not bring the earnings of a prostitute or the earnings of a dog into the house of the LORD your God for any vow; for both of these are abominations to the LORD your God.

5 When a man has taken a new wife, he must not go out to war, and he must not have any public duty laid on him; but he is to be free at home for one year and give happiness to his wife whom he has married.

19 You must not lend anything on interest to your brother, interest on money, interest on food items, interest on anything that is lent on interest. 20 You may lend on interest to a foreigner, but you must not lend on interest to your brother; so that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you put your hand to in the land which you are going to possess.

6 No man is to take the upper or lower millstone as a pledge; for he is taking a man’s life as a pledge.

7 If a man is discovered kidnapping any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and making him a slave or selling him, then that kidnapper shall die;

justice toward a sinful people. 23:7 Gen 25:24-26. 23:10,11 Lev 15:16. 23:14 Lev 26:11,12; 2 Cor 6:16 - 7:1. 23:17 This was a practice among the nations in that area and time which did not know the true God. 23:18 “A dog” – a male prostitute. 23:19,20 Loans to foreigners were probably business deals and interest could rightly be charged. But loans to fellow countrymen were loans to the poor who could not afford to pay interest, so none should be charged them. (Note also at 15:3). 23:21,23 Num 30:1,2; Ps 61:8; Eccl 5:4,5. 23:24,25 Matt 12:1; Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1.

24:1 Matt 5:31,32; 19:7-9; Mark 10:4-9; 1 Cor 7:12-16. God did not command men to divorce their wives for any reason, but permitted it “because of the hardness of their hearts.” But He did not permit it for each and every reason that might occur to a husband, and He insisted that a husband should not abruptly send away his wife, but give her a bill of divorce. This instruction was to correct abuses people were already guilty of, and to restrain men in this matter of quick and easy divorce. Divorce was not God’s plan for mankind. See Mal 2:16. 24:4 Jer 3:1. 24:5 20:7. 24:7 Ex 21:16.

249 DEUTERONOMY 25:13

and you shall purge evil from among you.

in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.

8 Be careful about the plague of leprosy, so that you diligently observe and do according to all that the priests the Levites teach you. You must be careful to do just as I commanded them. 9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way, after you had come out of Egypt.

If there is a controversy between men, and they come for judgment, the judges are to decide between them, and they are to justify the righteous and condemn the guilty. 2 Then it shall be like this : if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down, and be beaten in his presence, with a certain number of lashes in accordance with his fault. 3 He may give him forty lashes, but must not exceed that. If he exceeds that and beats him with more lashes than these, then your brother might seem degraded to you.

10 When you lend something to your brother you must not go into his house to take his pledge. 11 You must stand outside, and the man to whom you are giving a loan shall bring the pledge outside to you. 12 And if the man is poor, you must not sleep with his pledge in your house; 13 at sunset you must certainly hand the pledge back to him, so that he may sleep in his own garment, and bless you. And this will be righteousness for you in the sight of the LORD your God.

4 You must not muzzle the ox when he tramples out the grain.

14 You must not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is of your brethren, or of your foreigners who are in your land inside your gates. 15 You must give him his wages on his work day, before the sun sets on it; for he is poor, and sets his heart on it. Otherwise he may cry out against you to the LORD, and you will be guilty of sin.

5 If brothers live together, and one of them dies and has no child, the wife of the dead one must not go out to marry a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And it shall come about that the firstborn whom she bears shall carry the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

16 Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each man shall be put to death for his own sin.

7 And if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go out to the gate to the elders, and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name for his brother in Israel. He will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.” 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him; and if he stands firm and says, “I do not want to marry her,” 9 then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and shall answer and say, “So shall it be done to that man who will not build up his brother’s house.” 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, “The house of him who has a removed sandal.”

17 You must not pervert justice in regard to foreigners, or to the fatherless; and you must not take a widow’s garment as a pledge. 18 But you must remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you there. Therefore I command you to do this thing.

19 When you cut your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you must not go back to get it; it shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive tree, you must not go over the boughs again. What remains shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterwards; it shall be for the foreigner, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 22 And you must remember that you were a slave

11 When men are fighting with each other, and the wife of one of them comes near to deliver her husband out of the hand of the one hitting him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, 12 then you must cut off her hand; your eye must not pity her.

13 You must not have two different weights in

24:17-22 Ex 23:9; Lev 19:33. The poor, the helpless, and the needy are much in God’s heart. 25:1,2 Prov 19:29; Luke 12:48. 25:3 2 Cor 11:24. 25:4 Prov 12:10; 1 Cor 9:9-11; 1 Tim 5:17,18. 25:5,6 Ruth 4:5,10; Matt 22:24. 25:7-10 Ruth 4:5,6. 25:13-16 Lev 19:35-37; Prov 11:1; 20:3. God hates all such crookedness.

24:8 Leviticus chapters 13 and 14. Note at Lev 13:1. 24:9 Num 12:10. The disease referred to here was sometimes sent as a judgment from God (2 Kings 5:25-27). 24:10-13 Ex 22:25-27. 24:14 Lev 19:13; 25:35-43; Prov 14:31; Amos 4:1; 1 Tim 5:18. 24:15 Lev 19:13; Jer 22:13; Jam 5:4. 24:16 2 Kings 14:6; 2 Chron 25:4; Jer 31:29,30; Ezek 18:20.

DEUTERONOMY 25:14 250

your bag, a large and a small. 14 You must not have two different measures in your house, a large and a small. 15 But you must have a perfect and just weight; you must have a perfect and just measure, so that you may live a long time in the land which the LORD your God gives you. 16 For everyone who does such things, and everyone who acts unjustly, is an abomination to the LORD your God.

wonders. 9 And he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land that flows with milk and honey. 10 And now, see, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which you, O LORD, have given me.” And you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship in the presence of the LORD your God; 11 and you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you, and to your household, you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is among you.

17 Remember what Amalek did to you along the way, when you had come out of Egypt; 18 how he met you along the way and attacked those of you lagging behind in the rear, all who were faint and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore it must be like this when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance to possess it: blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!

12 When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat inside your gates and be satisfied, 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God, “I have brought the consecrated things from my house, and given them to the Levite, and to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, in accordance with all your commandments which you have commanded me. I have not broken your commandments, and I have not forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten any of the consecrated things in my time of mourning, and I have not taken away any of them for any unclean use or given any of them for the dead, but I have listened to the voice of the LORD my God and have done everything just as you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy dwelling place, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the land which you have given us, just as you swore to our fathers, a land that flows with milk and honey.”

And it must be like this when you have come in to the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and possess it and live in it: 2 take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the LORD your God gives you, and put it in a basket and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses to put his name there. 3 And go to the priest who will be there in those days, and say to him, “I declare today to the LORD your God, that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.” 4 And the priest shall take the basket from your hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 And you shall speak and say before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt, and stayed there with a few persons and there became a great, strong and populous nation. 6 And the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us and imposed hard labour on us. 7 And when we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction and our labour and our oppression, 8 and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs and with

16 This day the LORD your God has commanded you to do according to these statutes and judgments. Therefore you must keep and do according to them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 Today you have declared that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways and keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments, and listen to his voice. 18 And today the LORD has declared that you are his special people, just as he promised you, and that you must keep all his commandments, 19 and that he will set you high in praise, and in name and in honour above all nations which he has made, and that you must be a holy people for the LORD your God, just as he has said.

“Into Egypt” – Gen 46:1-4. 26:6,7 Ex 1:8-11; 2:23-25; 3:9. 26:8 Ex 13:17 – 14:31. 26:12 Lev 27:30; Num 18:24; Deut 14:28,29. 26:15 God could justly bless the people and the land only when He saw their righteous behavior. 26:17 Heb 10:35. 26:18 Ex 6:7; 19:5; Deut 4:20; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9. 26:19 4:7,8; 28:1.

25:17 Ex 17:8-16. 25:18 Ps 36:1; Rom 3:18. The fear of God is a barrier to evil which Amalek did not have. See notes at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:1114; 111:10; Prov 1:7. 25:19 1 Sam 15:1-3. Note at Lev 18:24. 26:2 Ex 22:29; 23:16,19; Num 18:13; Prov 12:5. 26:5 “Aramean” – Jacob’s mother came from Aram (Gen 24:10; 25:20), and he himself lived there 20 years (Gen 31:41).

251 DEUTERONOMY 28:2

And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep all the commandments which I command you this day. 2 And this must be done on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God gives you: you shall set up large stones for yourselves, and coat them with plaster; 3 and when you have crossed over you shall write on them all the words of this law, so that you may go on into the land which the LORD your God gives you, a land that flows with milk and honey, just as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you. 4 Therefore this must be done when you have gone over the Jordan: set up these stones, which I command you today, on mount Ebal. And you must cover them with plaster. 5 And there you must build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them. 6 You shall build the altar for the LORD your God out of uncut stones, and on it you shall offer burnt offerings to the LORD your God. 7 And you shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there and rejoice before the LORD your God. 8 And you shall write very clearly on the stones all the words of this law.”

cast metal image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman, and puts it in a secret place.” And all the people shall answer and say, “Amen.”

16 “Cursed is the one who dishonours his father or his mother.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

17 “Cursed is the one who moves his neighbour’s landmark.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

18 “Cursed is the one who makes the blind wander out of the way.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

19 “Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

20 “Cursed is the one who lies with his father’s wife, because he is uncovering his father’s skirt.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

21 “Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

22 “Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

23 “Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, O Israel. Today you have become the people of the LORD your God. 10 Therefore you must obey the voice of the LORD your God, and act according to his commandments and his statutes, which I command you this day.”

24 “Cursed is the one who strikes down his neighbour secretly.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

25 “Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

26 “Cursed is the one who does not uphold all the words of this law to do them.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

11 And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,

12 When you have gone over the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin; 13 and these shall stand on mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

And this will happen if you listen diligently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command you this day: the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth, 2 and all these blessings will come on you, and overtake you, if you will listen to the voice of the LORD your God.

14 And the Levites shall speak, and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice,

15 “Cursed is the man who makes any idol or

27:2-4 Josh 8:30-32. 27:5 Ex 20:25. 27:12 Josh 8:33-35. 27:15 4:16,23; Ex 20:4,23; 34:17; Lev 19:4; 26:1; Isa 44:9. “Amen” – this comes from a Hebrew word meaning sure and faithful. 27:16 5:16; Ex 20:12; 21:17; Lev 19:3; 20:9. 27:17 19:14. 27:18 Lev 19:14. 27:19 Ex 22:21; 23:9; Lev 19:33. 27:20 22:30; Lev 18:8; 20:11; 1 Cor 5:1. 27:21 Ex 22:19; Lev 18:23; 20:15. 27:22 Lev 18:19; 20:17. 27:23 Lev 20:14.

27:24 Ex 21:12; Lev 24:17; Num 35:30,31. 27:25 10:17; Ex 23:7. 27:26 Ps 119:21; Jer 11:3,4; Gal 3:10. Observe in this list that the curse on idolatry comes first. Notice, too, that it was not necessary to break all the commands of God to bring a curse on oneself – just one transgression was enough (Jam 2:10). 28:1,2 “Blessings” – notes on Gen 12:1-3; Num 6:22-27; Ps 1:1-3; 119:1; Matt 5:312; Luke 11:28; Acts 3:26; Gal 3:9; Eph 1:3. God loves to bless people and always will when it is just and right to do so. But observe the word “if.” The promises which follow were conditional, based on the obedience of the people.

DEUTERONOMY 28:3 252

3 You will be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field.

day, to observe and to do them. 14 And you must not go astray from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

4 The offspring of your body will be blessed, and the produce of your ground, and the offspring of your cattle, the issue of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep.

15 But this will come about, if you will not listen to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day: all these curses will come on you, and overtake you.

5 Your basket and your kneading bowl will be blessed.

6 You will be blessed when you come in, and when you go out.

16 You will be cursed in the city, and cursed in the field.

7 The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck down before your face. They will come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways.

17 Your basket and your kneading bowl will be cursed.

18 The offspring of your body will be cursed, and the produce of your land, the issue of your cattle and the your flocks of sheep.

8 The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses, and in all that you set your hand to, and he will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

19 You will be cursed when you come in, and when you go out.

9 The LORD will establish you as a holy people for himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 And all people of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will be afraid of you. 11 And the LORD will give you abundant prosperity in goods, in the offspring of your body, and in the issue of your cattle, and in the produce of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.

20 The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke, in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings, in which you have forsaken me. 21 The LORD will make the plague cling to you, until he has consumed you from off the land, where you go to possess it. 22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease and with fever and with inflammation and with fierce heat and with the sword and with blight and with mildew; and they will pursue you until you perish. 23 And your skies over your head will become brass and the ground under you will be iron. 24 The LORD will change the rain of your land into powder and dust; it will come down from the sky on you, until you are destroyed.

12 The LORD will open to you his good treasure, the heavens to give the rain on your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hands. And you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make you the head, and not the tail; and you will be at the top and not at the bottom, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you this

25 The LORD will cause you to be struck down before your enemies. You will go out one way

28:3-14 To His people Israel, if they were obedient to Him, God promised all sorts of blessings, many of them material. In the Old Testament material possessions and property were regarded as a sign of God’s blessing and it was often (but certainly not always) so. In the New Testament the blessings God promises are, for the most part, spiritual and eternal (Eph 1:3. Compare these blessings here in Deuteronomy with the words of the Lord Jesus in Matt 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-26. See note at Gen 24:35).

poor people have eternal riches in Christ. Remember that Israel in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in Canaan gives us types and pictures of spiritual realities. 28:15-19 God does not wish to bring curses on people. Curses are always the results of man’s sin, disobedience and rebellion. They are the outworking of God’s justice (Gen 3:14-19). God will bless when He can, bring curses when He must. The very blessings He promised for obedience (vs 3-6) will be turned into curses by disobedience. 28:20 God gave the law and all the instructions concerned with it through Moses. That is, Moses was His representative. Forsaking Moses and the teachings he gave would mean they were forsaking God. 28:20-68 These terrible punishments were awaiting Israel and finally came upon them for their disobedience. The following references show this. 28:21,22 Amos 4:9,10. 28:23,24 1 Kings 17:1,7. 28:25 2 Chron 29:8; Ezek 23:46-49.

Spiritual blessings are, of course, far more important than material ones. The Lord Jesus even said, “blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20). It would be folly for believers living in this age to fall back on the Old Testament idea that material possessions or property is a sign of God’s blessing. Many wealthy people (and some of them no doubt so-called Christians) are under the wrath of God because of their unbelief and disobedience (John 3:36; Jam 5:1-6). And many

253 DEUTERONOMY 28:56

against them, and flee seven ways before them. And you will become a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 And your carcass will be meat for all the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away.

will eat up all your trees and the produce of your land.

43 The foreigner who is among you will get very high above you, and you will come down very low. 44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.

27 The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and with scabs and with the itch, from which you will not be healed. 28 The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and heart bewilderment. 29 And you will grope about at noon, just as the blind grope in darkness. And you will not prosper in your ways, but will be only oppressed and plundered continually, and there will be no one to save you.

45 Moreover all these curses will come on you, and will pursue you, and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not listen to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you. 46 And they will be a sign and a wonder on you, and on your descendants forever. 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in an abundance of all things, 48 therefore you will serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in a lack of all things. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.

30 You will be engaged to a woman, but another man will lie with her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but will not gather its grapes. 31 Your ox will be killed before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken away before your eyes, but it will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to rescue them. 32 Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people, and your eyes will look for them all day long and fail with longing, and your hands will be powerless. 33 A nation you do not know will eat up the produce of your land, and you will be only oppressed and crushed continually, 34 so that you will be driven mad because of the sights which your eyes will see. 35 The LORD will strike you on the knees and on the legs with miserable boils that cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.

49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose tongue you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which will have no respect for the old person or show pity to the young. 51 And he will eat the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your land until you are destroyed. He will not leave you either grain, wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or your flocks of sheep, until he has destroyed you. 52 And he will besiege you in all your gates until your high fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout your whole land. He will besiege you in all your gates throughout your whole land which the LORD your God has given you.

36 The LORD will cause you and your king whom you will set over you, to go to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known; and there you will serve other gods, gods of wood and stone. 37 And you will become a horror, a proverb and a byword, among all nations where the LORD drives you. 38 You will carry much seed out to the field, but will gather in only a little, because the locust will devour it. 39 You will plant vineyards and cultivate them, but will not drink of the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. 40 You will have olive trees throughout your whole territory, but you will not anoint yourself with the oil, because your olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters, but you will not enjoy them, because they will go into captivity. 42 The locust

53 And you will eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters, whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the dire straits with which your enemies will distress you. 54 So the man who is refined and very delicate among you will give hostile looks at his brother, and at the wife of his bosom, and at the rest of his children who remain, 55 so that he will not give any of them any of the flesh of his children whom he will eat, because nothing is left to him in the siege and in the dire straits with which your enemies will oppress you in all your gates. 56 The refined and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole

28:26 Jer 34:20. 28:30 Jer 8:10; Amos 4:11. 28:33 Jer 5:15. 28:36 2 Kings 17:4,6; 24:12,14; 25:7,11; 2 Chron 36:1-21; Jer 39:1-9. 28:37 1 Kings 9:7,8; Jer 19:8; 24:9; 29:18.

28:38 Isa 5:10; Joel 1:4; Mic 6:15. 28:48 Lam 4:4-6; Jer 28:13,14. 28:49 Isa 5:26-30; 7:18-20; Jer 5:15; 6:22,23; Lam 4:19. 28:52-57 2 Kings 6:28,29; Lam 2:20; 4:10.

DEUTERONOMY 28:57 254

of her foot on the ground because of delicateness and refinement, will give hostile looks at the husband of her bosom, and at her son and at her daughter, 57 and at the afterbirth that comes from her, and at her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly because of the lack of all things in the siege and in the dire straits with which your enemy will oppress you in your gates.

will say, “Would God it were morning!” Because you will be afraid from the fear of your heart and from the sights which your eyes will see. 68 And the LORD will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I spoke to you, “You will never see it again”, and there you will offer to sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, and no one will buy you.”

58 If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, so that you may fear this glorious and awe-inspiring name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the LORD will bring plagues on you and plagues on your offspring that are extraordinary, great plagues that last a long time, and severe sicknesses that last a long time. 60 Moreover he will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt, which you were afraid of, and they will cling to you. 61 Also the LORD will bring on you every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, until you are destroyed. 62 And you will be left few in number, when once you were as many as the stars of the sky, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God. 63 And it will come about that just as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and to increase your numbers, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and to bring you to nothing. And you will be torn from the land which you are going to possess.

These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

2 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 3 the great trials, the signs, and those great miracles which your eyes have seen.

4 Yet even to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand and eyes to see and ears to hear.

5 And I led you forty years in the desert. Your clothes did not become old on you, and your shoes did not become old on your feet. 6 You did not eat bread, and you did not drink wine or strong drink, so that you might know that I am the LORD your God.

7 And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us to battle, and we struck them down, 8 and took their land, and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.

64 And the LORD will scatter you among all people, from one end of the earth to the other; and there you will serve other gods which neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of wood and stone. 65 And among these nations you will find no ease, and the sole of your foot will have no rest; but the LORD will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and sorrow of mind; 66 and your life will hang in suspense before you, and you will be afraid day and night, and your life will have no assurance. 67 In the morning you will say, “Would God it were evening!” And at evening you

9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, so that you may prosper in all that you do. 10 Today all of you stand before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones, your wives, and your foreigners who are in your camp, from those who

28:58 With what care we should use the glorious and fearful name of God! Compare Ex 20:7. 28:59-61 God Himself sometimes sends sickness as punishment (v 27; Ex 9:9; Deut 7:15). 28:62 Ezra 2:1,64; Neh 7:4; etc. 28:63 Their evil would become so ripe for judgment that God would delight in fulfilling justice in their destruction! A similar idea is found in Prov 1:24-26. 28:64 2 Kings 17:6; 25:1-4,8-11. 28:65 Lam 1:3; psalm 137. God brought all these things upon Israel because they deserved them, and would not repent and turn to God who could bless them and rescue them from calamity. Notice vs 20,45,47,

58,62. By these disasters God was teaching that unbelief and disobedience are terrible sins which justice must punish. We have the same teaching in the New Testament (John 3:36; 2 Thess 1:5-9; 2 Pet 2:9-13; Rev 15:1,3; 16:5-7; 21:8). 29:1 God wanted this new generation to make a new beginning as they face the promised land, so He renews the covenant with them which He had made at Sinai (Exodus chapter 19). 29:4 Isa 29:10; Rom 11:8. The reason for this was their unbelief and rebelliousness. 29:6 8:3. 29:7 Num 21:21-24,33,35. 29:8 Num 32:32,33. 29:9 4:6.

255 DEUTERONOMY 30:4

cut your wood to those who draw your water, 12 so that you should enter into a covenant with the LORD your God, and into his oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, 13 that he may establish you today as a people for himself, and that he may be God to you, as he has said to you, and as he has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14 And I do not make this covenant and this oath just with you, 15 but both with the one who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, and with the one who is not here with us today.

sicknesses which the LORD has brought on it, 23 and that the whole of its land has become sulfur and salt and burning, that it is not sown and does not produce, and that no grass grows on it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger and in his wrath, 24 then all nations will say, “Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this great burning anger?”

25 Then men will say, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. 26 For they went and served other gods and worshipped them, gods whom they did not know and whom he had not given to them. 27 And the anger of the LORD burned against this land to bring on it all the curses that are written in this book. 28 And the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation, and drove them into another land, as it is this day.”

16 For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the nations which you came through. 17 And you saw their abominations and their idols of wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them. 18 If there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of these nations, if there should be among you a root that bears gall and bitterness, 19 and when he hears the words of this curse, it so happens that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, “I will have peace even though I walk according to the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst,” 20 the LORD will not spare him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will burn against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And the LORD will single him out for disaster from all the tribes of Israel, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law.

29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may do all the words of this law.

And this is what will happen: when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2 and turn back to the LORD your God, and you and your children obey his voice in accordance with all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the nations, where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If

22 And the coming generation of your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a distant land, will speak out when they see the plagues of that land and the

29:12,13 The covenant was that He would be their God and they would be His people (Ex 6:6,7). Now believers in Christ have this greatest of all privileges and blessings (2 Cor 6:16; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9,10). 29:18 32:32. Idolatry and worship of gods other than the Creator Jehovah are bitter poison. 29:19-21 The warning here is against the person who knows the curse of God on idolatry and false worship and yet arrogantly, presumptuously engages in it, knowing he is acting against God (1 Sam 2:25; 2 Chron 36:16; Prov 1:24-31; 29:1). 29:22,23 Isa 1:7; 34:9; 64:11; Jer 17:6; Zeph 2:9. 29:24 1 Kings 9:8; Jer 22:8. 29:25 2 Kings 17:9-23; 2 Chron 36:13-21. 29:27 Dan 9:11. 29:28 2 Chron 7:20; Ps 52:5; Prov 2:22; Ezek 19:12,13. Notes on God’s anger at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11; John 3:36; Rom 1:18.

29:29 Acts 1:7. There are many things God has not yet revealed. We must leave those mysteries to Him. He has revealed all we need to know on this earth to believe Him, know Him, obey Him, serve Him, love Him, and be prepared to live with Him forever. Let us occupy ourselves with these matters. Compare Josh 15:15; 17:8; 1 Cor 2:9,10; 2 Tim 3:16,17. 30:1 God sees the future and knew exactly what was going to happen to Israel (31:16-18; Isa 46:9,10; 48:3). 30:2 God also knew that eventually they would turn to Him again (4:29,30). 30:3 “Will bring you back from captivity” – or it could be translated “will restore your well-being.” 30:3-5 Isa 43:6; 48:20; 62:11; Jer 29:11-14; 32:37; Ezek 34:13. There was a partial fulfillment of this in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:1; Neh 7:6). The people remained in the land until 70 A.D., at

DEUTERONOMY 30:5 256

any of you have been driven out to the end of the heavens, the LORD your God will gather you from there, and bring you from there. 5 And the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you will possess it; and he will do you good and make you more numerous than your fathers. 6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. 7 And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.

not hear, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you this day, that you will surely perish, and that you will not have a long life in the land which you are going to possess when you cross the Jordan.

19 Today I call heaven and earth to witness against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that both you and your offspring may live, 20 so that you may love the LORD your God and that you may obey his voice and that you may cling to him. For he is your life and the length of your days, so that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give them.

8 And you will return and obey the voice of the LORD and obey all his commandments which I command you this day. 9 And the LORD your God will make you prosperous in every work of your hand, in the offspring of your body, and in the offspring of your cattle, and in the produce of your land, for good; for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as he rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you will listen to the voice of the LORD your God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, Today I am a hundred and twenty years old. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the LORD has said to me, “You will not cross this Jordan. 3 The LORD your God will go over before you, and he will destroy these nations from before you, and you will possess their territories. And Joshua will go over before you, just as the LORD has said. 4 And the LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed, and to their land. 5 And the LORD will deliver them up in your sight so that you may treat them in accordance with all the commandments which I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them, because the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.

11 For this command which I give you this day is not hidden from you, and it is not far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?” 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, so that you should say, “Who will cross the sea for us and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?” 14 But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

7 And Moses summoned Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD swore to their fathers to give them. And you will enable them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD is the one who goes before you; he will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or be dismayed.”

15 See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and disaster, 16 in that I command you this day to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, so that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land where you going to possess it.

17 But if your heart turns away so that you do

9 And Moses wrote down this law and delivered

which time the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and scattered Israel once again. This was in accordance with the prophecy of Christ in Luke 21:24. The prophets spoke of a future restoration of Israel which would be permanent (Isa 60:21; Ezek 37:25; Amos 9:14,15). 30:6 10:16. Compare Heb 10:16. “Circumcise your hearts” – 10:16; Jer 4:4 (note); Acts 7:51. 30:7 28:16-20. 30:9 Jer 31:27,28. 30:11-14 Rom 10:6-8. They alone of all the peoples on earth had God delivering His word to them through His prophets. 30:15 11:26. 30:16 28:1,2.

30:17,18 4:25,26; 8:19. 30:19,20 How solemnly God declared the truth to them! Life and death, blessing and the curse, were before them. The choice was theirs to make (compare Josh 24:15; 1 Kings 18:21; Ezek 18:31,32; Matt 23:37; Luke 13:34,35; Rev 22:17). He pleads with them to choose life and blessing by choosing loving obedience. 31:2 1:37; 3:27. 31:3 9:3; Num 27:18. 31:6 1:29; 7:18; 20:1,4; Josh 10:25; 1 Chron 22:13; Heb 13:5. 31:8 Josh 1:5. 31:9 Another very clear statement that Moses wrote down the law. See also Ex 24:4;

257 DEUTERONOMY 32:4

it to the priests the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the fixed time of the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which he chooses, you must read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people together, men, women and children, and your foreigner who is inside your gates, so that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and observe to obey all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known anything, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

calamities and troubles have come on them, that this song will be a witness to testify against them; for it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their frame of mind which they are forming even now before I have brought them into the land which I promised on oath.”

22 So Moses wrote down this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.

23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a commission, and said, Be strong and courageous, for you will take the children of Israel into the land which I promised to them on oath; and I will be with you.

24 And this took place when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were completed: 25 Moses commanded the Levites, who were the carriers of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, 26 Take this book of the law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may be there as a witness against you. 27 For I know your rebelliousness and your stubbornness. Look, today while I am still alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD; so how much more so after my death! 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, so that I may speak these words in their hearing, and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and disaster will come on you in later days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, and provoke him to anger through the works of your hands.

14 And the LORD said to Moses, “Look, the day of your death is approaching. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, so that I may give him a commission.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

15 And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle. 16 And the LORD said to Moses, “Look, you will lie down with your fathers, and this people will rise up and act the prostitute with the gods of the foreigners of the land where they are going to be among them, and will forsake me and break my covenant which I have made with them. 17 In that day my anger will burn against them, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them. And they will be consumed, and many calamities and troubles will come on them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these calamities come on us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all the evils which they will have done in turning to other gods.

30 And Moses spoke in the hearing of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.

Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My teaching will drop like the rain, my speech will distill like the dew, like the fine rain on the tender plant,

19 “Now therefore write down for yourselves this song, and teach it the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, so that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. 20 For after I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, a land that flows with milk and honey, and they have eaten and satisfied themselves and become fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and provoke me and break my covenant. 21 And it will come about, after many

and like the showers on the grass, 3 because I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are just. 34:27; Num 33:2; John 5:46. 31:11-13 Josh 8:34,35; 2 Kings 23:2; Neh 8:1-8. Note on fear at Gen 20:1. 31:15 Ex 33:9. 31:16-18 Isa 46:10. 31:19 Seen in 32:1-43. 31:20,21 Matt 9:4; John 2:24,25; 6:64; 13:11.

31:24-26 Ex 25:10,11. 31:27 9:7,13,24. 31:28 4:26; 30:19; 32:1; Isa 1:2. 32:1 Isa 1:2. 32:2 Ps 72:6; Isa 55:10,11. 32:3 Ex 33:19; 34:5,6. Proclaiming His name means to speak of His nature and attributes. 32:4 “Rock” – vs 15,18,30; 2 Sam 22:47;

DEUTERONOMY 32:5 258

A God of truth and without iniquity,

13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, so that he might eat the produce

just and upright is he.

5 They have corrupted themselves; this is their defect. They are not his children. They are a perverse and crooked

of the fields; and he made him to suck honey

from the rock, and fed him with oil from the flinty rock, 14 cattle butter, and sheep’s milk, with the fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kernels of wheat. And you drank the pure blood of the grape. 15 But Jeshurun became fat, and kicked. You have become fat, you have grown thick, you are covered with fatness. Then he forsook God who made him,

generation. 6 Is this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your father who has bought you? Has he not made you and established you?

7 Remember the days of old; consider the years, the many generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you.

Ask your elders, and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the boundaries of the peoples

and lightly regarded the Rock of

his salvation. 16 They made him jealous with foreign gods, they provoked him to anger with

according to the number of the

children of Israel. 9 For the LORD’s portion is his people. Jacob is his allotted inheritance.

abominations. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God; to gods whom they did not know, to new gods that came up recently,

10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste and howling wilderness. He led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 As an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads out her wings, takes them,

whom your fathers did not fear. 18 You ignored the Rock who gave you birth, and forgot God who formed you.

19 And when the LORD saw this, he abhorred them, because of the provocation of his sons,

carries them on her wings, 12 so the LORD alone lead him, and no foreign god was with him.

and of his daughters. 20 And he said, “I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end will be;

23:3; Ps 18:2,31; 28:1; 31:3; 42:9; 62:2; 71:3. In the Old Testament God is spoken of as a Rock about thirty times. The word suggests strength, refuge, unchangeableness, a solid foundation for the faith of God’s people, and a refuge from His anger against sin.

“Corrupt are they and not His children, a generation warped and twisted to their shame.” 32:6 As a nation God was their father who created them and brought them out of Egypt. But individually most of them neither trusted Him nor behaved as His children. 32:8 Acts 17:26. 32:9 1 Sam 10:1; 1 Kings 8:51,53; Jer 10:16. 32:10 Ps 17:8; Prov 7:2; Zech 2:8. 32:11 Ex 19:4. In other words, He was teaching them to fly. Compare Isa 40:31. 32:13 8:8; Ps 81:16; Isa 33:16; 58:14; Hab 3:19. 32:15 Jeshurun is a poetical name for Israel (33:5,26; Isa 44:2). The name means the upright or righteous one. 32:16 Ps 78:58; 106:29. Notes on God’s anger at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. 32:17 A very significant verse indicating that the gods other than the one true God, the Creator of the universe, are demons. See also Lev 17:7; 1 Cor 10:20. At the temptation of Christ Satan revealed that worship is what he desires (Matt 4:9,10). 32:18 Here the nation is viewed collectively. 32:19 Lev 26:30; Ps 106:40; Jer 44:21-23.

This name for God was a favorite one in the Psalms. The writers there called God “the Rock of my salvation” (Ps 95:1), “the Rock of my refuge” (Ps 94:22), “the Rock of my strength” (Ps 62:7), “the Rock of my heart” (the Hebrew of Ps 73:26 – note). In the New Testament Christ is also called “rock” (1 Cor 10:4; Ex 17:4-6), “stone”, and chief “cornerstone” (Matt 21:42-44; Acts 4:11; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:4,6).

“Perfect” – Ps 18:30; Matt 5:48. “Just” – 2 Sam 22:31; Ps 18:30; 19:7; 145:17; Rev 15:3. 32:5 The majority of the people, though called to be God’s special people among all who lived on the earth, were not true believers and so individually not children of God. This was true also in the time of the Lord Jesus (Matt 17:17; John 8:42-45; Acts 2:40). This verse could also be translated

259 DEUTERONOMY 32:41

and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them,

for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faith. 21 They have made me jealous with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger

and the LORD had given them up? 31 For their rock is not as our Rock, as even our enemies themselves judge. 32 For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall,

with their vanities. So I will make them jealous

with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger

their clusters are bitter. 33 Their wine is the poison of snakes and the cruel venom of cobras. 34 The LORD says “Is this not stored up with me, and sealed up in my treasuries? 35 Vengeance belongs to me, and retribution. Their foot will slide in due time,

with a foolish nation. 22 For a fire has been kindled in my anger, and will burn to the realm of the dead, and will consume the earth with its produce, and set the foundations

of the mountains on fire. 23 “I will heap disasters on them. I will use up my arrows on them. 24 They will waste away with hunger, and be devoured with burning heat,

because the day of their calamity

is at hand, and the things that will come on them

approach quickly.”

and with bitter destruction. I will also send the teeth of beasts on them, and the poison of the serpents of the dust. 25 The sword outside and terror inside will destroy both the young man and the virgin, the sucking infant along with the man

36 For the LORD will judge his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone,

and there is no one left,

slave or free. 37 And he will say, “Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, 38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you,

of gray hairs. 26 I almost said that I would shatter them to pieces, I would cause the memory of them to

cease from among men, 27 but I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should

and be your protection.

39 “See now that I, I alone am he, and there is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal;

miscalculate and say, ‘We have the upper hand, and the LORD has not done all this.’ 28 For they are a nation lacking counsel, there is no understanding in them. 29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their final end!”

and there is no one who can deliver

out of my hand. 40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. 41 If I sharpen my glittering sword, and my hand takes hold of judgment, I will take vengeance on my enemies,

30 How could one chase a thousand,

32:21 See notes on jealousy and idolatry at Ex 20:4-6, on anger at Num 25:3. See 1 Kings 15:30; 16:13,26.

3:9; 13:19; Jer 23:14; 49:18; Ezek 16:46-49; 2 Pet 2:6; Jude 7. 32:33 29:18; Ps 140:3; Rom 3:13. 32:34 There is a place where the deeds of men are recorded and kept (Rev 20:12) 32:35 Notes at Ex 21:23-25; Num 31:2,3; Ps 94:1; Nah 1:7; Rom 12:19; 2 Thess 2:6-9; Heb 10:30,31. 32:36 Ps 50:4; 135:14. 32:37,38 Jud 10:14; 1 Kings 18:27; Jer 11:12. 32:39 “With me” – v 12; Isa 41:4; 43:10; 45:5. “Make alive” – 1 Sam 2:6; Ps 68:20. “My hand” – Ps 50:22; Dan 4:35. 32:41,42 Verse 35; Isa 34:6-8; Jer 12:12;

“People” – part of this verse is quoted in Rom 10:19. 32:22 Ps 18:7,8; Isa 24:1-6; Lam 4:11. “Realm of the dead” – in Hebrew “Sheol” – note at Gen 37:35. 32:23 Ps 18:14; 45:5. 32:24,25 28:22,48; Ps 91:6; Lam 1:20. 32:26,27 Ex 32:9-14. 32:28,29 Isa 1:3; Jer 9:3,6; John 8:54,55; Titus 1:16. 32:30 Lev 26:7,8. 32:31 Verse 4; Ex 14:25. 32:32 Gen 18:20,21; 19:1-11; Isa 1:9,10;

DEUTERONOMY 32:42 260

and will repay those who hate me. 42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh, the blood of the slain and of the captives, and the heads of the leaders of the enemy.”

and he came with ten thousands holy ones. From his right hand a fiery law

went out for them. 3 Yes, he loved the people. All his saints are in your hand,

and they sit at your feet, and receive of your words. 4 Moses commanded us a law, the inheritance of the congregation

43 Rejoice, O you nations, with his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will take vengeance on his adversaries, and be merciful to his land, and to his people.

of Jacob. 5 And the LORD was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people

44 And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, and Joshua the son of Nun. 45 And Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 and said to them, Take to your hearts all the words which I solemnly declare among you today, which you will command your children to be careful to do, all the words of this law. 47 For this is not an empty word for you; because it is your life; and through this word you will live long in the land, which you will cross the Jordan to possess.

and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.

6 He said, Let Reuben live, and not die, nor his men be few.

7 And this is what he said of Judah, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah,

and bring him to his people. Let his hands be sufficient for him,

48 And that same day the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “Go up into this mountain range of Abarim, to mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession. 50 And you will die on the mountain which you climb, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died in mount Hor and was gathered to his people; 51 because both of you were unfaithful to me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the desert of Zin, because you did not show me to be holy in the midst of the children of Israel. 52 So you will see the land before you, but you will not go there, to the land which I give to the children of Israel.”

and be a help to him from his enemies.

8 And of Levi he said, Let your Thummim and your Urim be

with your holy one, whom you

proved at Massah, and with whom you contended at the

waters of Meribah. 9 He said of his father and of his mother, “I did not consider them,” and he did not acknowledge his

brothers or regard his own children; for they have observed your word,

and kept your covenant. 10 They will teach Jacob your judgments, and Israel your law. They will put incense before you, and whole burnt sacrifices on your altar. 11 Bless, LORD, his abilities, and accept the work of his hands. Strike through the loins of those who

And this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said,

The LORD came from Sinai,

and dawned on them from Seir; he shone forth from mount Paran,

rise up against him, and of those who hate him,

46:10,14; 50:28-32; Rev 19:15-21. 32:43 Isa 1:24,25; Rev 6:10; 19:2. 32:46 4:9; Eph 6:4. 32:47 8:3; 30:20; Matt 4:4; John 6:63,68. 32:48-52 Num 20:8-12. 33:1 Josh 14:6; Ps 90 (title). See also 1 Kings 12:22; 2 Kings 4:9; 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 3:17. Moses now gives prophetic blessings for the people as Isaac did for his sons and Jacob did for the twelve tribes (Gen 27:27-29, 39-40; 49:1-28). 33:2 Ex 19:18,20; Ps 68:8,17; Jud 5:4; Num 10:12; Hab 3:3; Dan 7:10; Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2. 33:3 “Loved” – 4:37; 7:7,8; Mal 1:2;

John 3:16; 1 John 4:8.

“Your hand” – John 10:28,29; Rev 1:16,20. 33:4 This verse may indicate that someone else, possibly Joshua, wrote down these words after Moses’ death. 33:5 Note on Jeshurun at 32:15. 33:6 Gen 49:3,4. 33:7 Gen 49:8-12. 33:8 Note at Ex 28:30. “Meribah” – Ex 17:7; Num 20:13,24. 33:9 Ex 32:27-29; Matt 10:34-38; Luke 14:26. The Levites put God first in a very difficult and trying time. 33:10 Lev 10:11; 16:12,13; Deut 31:9-13; Lev 1:7-13.

261 DEUTERONOMY 33:29

so that they do not rise up again.

the seas, and treasures hid in the sand.

12 And of Benjamin he said, The one the LORD loves will live

20 And of Gad he said, Blessed is he who enlarges Gad. He lives like a lion, and tears the arm

in safety by him, and the LORD will shield him all day long; and he will live between his shoulders.

and the crown of the head. 21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in the

13 And of Joseph he said, May his land be blessed by the LORD

governor’s portion, he was seated. And he came with the leaders of the

with the precious things of heaven, with the dew, and with the deep that

lies below, 14 And with the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and with the choice produce of the months, 15 And with the best things of the ancient mountains, and with the precious things of the

people; he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.

22 And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s cub; he will leap from Bashan.

everlasting hills, 16 And with the precious things of the earth and its fulness, and with the good will of the One who

23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full of the blessing of the LORD,

possess the sea and the south.

dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come on the head of

24 And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brethren,

Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the one

who was separated from his brothers. 17 His glory is like the firstborn of his bull, and his horns are like the horns of the

and let him dip his foot in oil. 25 Your bolts will be iron and brass, and your strength will be as your days.

wild ox. With them he will push the people

26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides in the heavens for your help,

together to the ends of the earth. And they are the myriads of Ephraim,

and in the sky in his majesty. 27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and he will drive out the enemy

and they are the thousands of

Manasseh.

18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out;

from before you, and will say, “Destroy them !” 28 So Israel will live in safety alone. The spring of Jacob will be in a land of

and, Issachar, in your tents. 19 They will summon peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of

corn and wine, and his heavens will drop down dew. 29 Happy are you, O Israel!

righteousness; for they will draw out the abundance of

33:12 Ex 28:12; Luke 15:5. 33:13 Gen 49:22-26. Ephraim and Manasseh settled in some of the most fruitful areas of Israel. 33:16 “Bush” – Ex 3:2,4. 33:18 Gen 49:13-15. 33:19 Ps 4:5; 51:19. 33:20 Gen 49:19. 33:21 Num 32:1-5. They came across the Jordan river to help the other tribes conquer Canaan (Josh 22:1-4). 33:22 Gen 49:6. 33:23 Gen 49:21. This tribe’s land was to be south and west of the sea of Galilee. 33:24,25 Gen 49:20. 33:26 From this verse onwards not Asher only but all the tribes of Israel are meant.

Compare 10:14; Ps 68:33,34; 104:3; Hab 3:8. 33:27 “Refuge” – v 12; Ps 90:1,2; 91:1. God is above (v 26) and around all men (Acts 17:28; Job 12:10; Dan 5:23). But this is true of God’s people in a special sense (John 14:23; 17:21).

“Before you” – Ex 34:11; Josh 24:18; Eph 6:10-17; 2 Thess 1:6-8; Rev 6:911; 19:11-15. Believers now fight spiritual enemies. God Himself will deal both with them, and with all flesh and blood enemies as well at the proper time. 33:28 Jer 23:6; John 10:28,29; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 1. 33:29 Israel had the greatest privileges of any people in the world. See Rom 9:3-5.

DEUTERONOMY 34:1 262

Who is like you, O people saved by the LORD, who is the shield of your help and

in the land of Moab, in accordance with the word of the LORD. 6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but to this day no man knows the place of his tomb. 7 And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, and his natural vigour had not abated. 8 And the children of Israel grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days; then the days of grieving and mourning for Moses were over.

the sword of your majesty! And your enemies will be found liars to you, and you will trample on their high places.

And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead, to Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and all the land of Judah, as far as the western sea, 3 and the south and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. And the children of Israel listened to him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

10 And since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 in regard to all the signs and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and in regard to all that mighty power and all the great awe-inspiring deeds which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

4 And the LORD said to him, “This is the land which I promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, I will give it to your offspring. I have enabled you to see it with your eyes, but you will not go over there.”

5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there

34:1 We don’t know who wrote this final chapter. Possibly it was Joshua. Moses himself wrote all the rest – 31:9. 34:2 “Western” here means the Mediterranean Sea. 34:4 Gen 12:7; 26:3; 28:13. 34:6 God buried Him, possibly through the archangel Michael (see Jude 9). The tendency of fallen humanity is to glorify

and deify their great leaders and ancestors, and make their burial places into shrines. This may be the reason that God did not reveal Moses’s burial place. 34:9 Num 27:18,23; Isa 11:2. “Spirit” – perhaps this refers to God’s Spirit. 34:10-12 Ex 33:11; Num 12:8; Deut 18:15.

JOSHUA

Author:

According to Jewish tradition Joshua was the author of this book, except for 24:29-33. There is evidence in the book itself that points to Joshua’s authorship. See 24:26. See the use of the word “we” in 5:1. Joshua came out of Egypt with Moses and spent 40 years with him and Israel in the desert. He was an experienced military leader (Ex 17:8-13), a man of faith and faithfulness (Num 14:6-9). The name Joshua means “Jehovah gives salvation” or “Jehovah gives victory.”

Date:

The invasion of Canaan took place probably about 1406 BC. Joshua wrote when most of the land had been taken, toward the end of his life.

Themes:

God’s people taking the land God had promised them, the way God gave them victory, and the lessons they learned in the battle for Canaan. This book has many spiritual lessons for believers now. Some, at least, of the events seen in it are pictures of our spiritual life and warfare. See the note at 1:17. Another theme in Joshua is the destruction of wicked peoples. See 6:21; 8:26; 10:28,35,37,39,40; etc. This was done at God’s command. See Deut 7:1,2,16. And it was done under divine leadership (Josh 5:13-15). But was it just and right for God to destroy whole peoples? Certainly it was just and right. That is why God did it. Everything God does is just and right, and He is the one who is the proper judge of what is just and right, not sinful man. On the destruction of wicked people see notes at Gen 6:7; 15:16; Lev 18:24,25; Deut 13:12-18; Ps 47:2; 2 Thess 1:5-9; Rev 16:5-7. The inhabitants of Canaan practiced idolatry, the sacrifice of infants to idols, and sexual perversions in the name of their gods. They were extremely cruel and corrupt. Mingling with them would be disastrous for the people of Israel, whom God had chosen to worship Him and to proclaim the truth about Him. The sins of the peoples of Canaan were ripe for judgment, so God wisely and justly decided the time had come to destroy them.

Some key verses in this book are 1:3-9; 5:13-15; 21:43-45; 24:14,15.

Contents:

The Lord commissions Joshua ........................................................................ 1:1-9 Preparations to cross the Jordan river ............................................................ 1:10-18 The spies and Rahab .................................................................................... 2:1-21 Crossing the Jordan ..................................................................................... 3:1-17 Setting up a monument at Gilgal ..................................................................... 4:1-24 Circumcising the people at Gilgal .................................................................... 5:1-9 Keeping the Passover, ceasing of the manna ................................................... 5:10-12 The “Commander” of the army of the LORD..................................................... 5:13-15 The fall of Jericho ........................................................................................ 6:1-27

Rahab saved .......................................................................................... 6:22,23 Curse on Jericho ..................................................................................... 6:26,27 Achan’s greed and disobedience .................................................................... 7:1-26 Destruction of Ai .......................................................................................... 8:1-29 The covenant renewed ................................................................................. 8:30-34 The cunning Gibeonites ................................................................................. 9:1-27 Battle of Gibeon, the sun stands stil ............................................................... 10:1-43 Conquest of northern Canaan ....................................................................... 11:1-15 Summary of Joshua’s campaigns .................................................................... 11:16 - 12:24 Division of the land ....................................................................................... chapters 13-21

Joshua’s instructions about this ................................................................. 13:1-7 Allotment of land east of the Jordan .......................................................... 13:8-33

JOSHUA 264

Allotment of Hebron to Caleb .................................................................... 14:6-15 Allotment for the tribe of Judah and

for the sons of Joseph ......................................................................... chapters 15-17 Meeting at Shiloh, alloting land for

the rest of the tribes ........................................................................... 18:1 - 19:48 Allotment for Joshua ................................................................................ 19:49-51 Five cities of refuge ................................................................................. 20:1-9 Cities for the Levites ................................................................................ 21:11-45 Two tribes and a half tribe return to the east,

building an altar of witness ................................................................... chapter 22 Joshua’s final exhortation ............................................................................. chapter 23 Covenant renewed at Shechem ..................................................................... 24:1-28 Death of Joshua .......................................................................................... 24:29-33

265 JOSHUA 1:17

1 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came about that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying,

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare food for yourselves; for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess.”

2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I give to them, to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot treads on, I have given to you, just as I said to Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the great sea toward the sunset. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you, or forsake you.

12 And Joshua spoke to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh, saying, 13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you rest, and has given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock, will remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but you, all the valiant warriors, must go armed before your brethren, and help them 15 until the LORD has given your brethren rest, just as he has given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God gives them.’ Then you shall return to enjoy the land of your possession, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrise.”

6 “Be strong and courageous; for you will cause this people to possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, so that you may be careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This book of the law must not depart from your mouth, but you must meditate in it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you?

16 And they answered Joshua, saying, “We will do all that you command us, and will go wherever you send us. 17 Just as we listened to Moses in all things, so we will listen to you. Only may the LORD

1:1 “Death of Moses” – Deut 34:5. The book of Joshua continues the story of Israel where Deuteronomy left off. When one leader passed off the scene God raised up another. For the accomplishment of His purposes He was not dependent on any one man. 1:2 “My servant” – Ex 14:31; Deut 34:5; Hab 3:5.

a strange land to conquer powerful enemies.

“Cause. . .to possess” – Joshua had already been chosen as Moses’s successor (Deut 31:1-8). Here God confirms his call. It is God who must appoint leaders for His people. The initiative is His, and He will equip them for the task to which He calls them. 1:7,8 For a leader obedience to God was more necessary than any other quality (Deut 8:1; 11:8). This is still true. The Book of the Law was the revelation God gave through Moses at Mt Sinai (Ex 20:1; 21:1; Lev 1:1; Deut 4:5-8). Moses had written down all God gave him to write – Ex 17:14; 24:4; 34:27; Num 33:22; Deut 31:9. God’s people had to give it the highest importance in their lives (Deut 6:6,7). That was the only way to victory and the enjoyment of God’s blessings. Now we have God’s full revelation in the Bible, and God’s Word is of the utmost importance in the life of every believer (John 8:31,32; 14:24; Rom 15:4; Col 3:16; 2 Tim 3:16,17; Jam 1:22-25). Obedience to it is the only way to have success in the Christian life. 1:9 God with us is the remedy for fear and discouragement (v 5; Deut 33:27; Ps 23:4; 27:1-3; 46:1-3; 2 Tim 4:16,17; Heb 13:5,6). 1:10,11 A true leader obeys God’s instructions and urges the people to obey them. 1:12-18 Numbers chapter 32; Josh 22:1-4.

“Jordan” – marked the eastern boundary of Canaan.

“Give” – God had already given it to them by promise (v 6; Gen 12:6,7; 15:18-21; Ex 3:8). Now He was giving them the actual possession of it. 1:3 Deut 11:24,25. God gave them the land but they had to occupy it. 1:4 “Wilderness” – in the far south of the land.

“Euphrates” – in the far north. “Hittites” – Ex 33:2; 34:11. The Hittites once occupied much of Canaan and in ancient times the whole land was sometimes called after them.

“Sea” – Mediterranean. 1:5 “Stand” – Deut 7:24. In spiritual matters compare Luke 10:18,19; Jam 4:7.

“I will be with you” – vs 9,17; Gen 26:3; 39:2; Deut 31:8; Isa 7:14; Heb 13:5,6. 1:6 “Strong and courageous” – two qualities very necessary in a leader. No doubt it was a matter of trembling to Joshua to be called to take the place of one of the greatest men in history, and to lead a nation into

JOSHUA 1:18 266

your God be with you, as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your command, and will not listen to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two spies secretly, saying, “Go view the land, and Jericho.” And they went and entered the house of a prostitute, named Rahab, and lodged there.

2 And the king of Jericho was told, saying,

1:18 They were right to insist that Joshua live in the presence and blessing of God. It is a risky thing to follow a leader out of touch with God.

would have been ruinous. Believers now too are engaged in a warfare, whether they like it or not, but this warfare is spiritual (2 Cor 10:4; Eph 6:12; 1 Pet 5:8,9). To be passive is to be defeated.

The taking of Canaan by the people of Israel has many lessons for believers now, and the physical events involved in it are pictures of our spiritual walk and warfare. Consider the following:

(e) To enter into their inheritance Israel had to follow the leader God had appointed – Joshua. Believers now have a Godappointed leader whom they must follow or face certain defeat – Jesus. Joshua means “Jehovah saves.” In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the name became Iesus, with the same meaning. Jesus is our leader to glory, our captain in the battle of life (Heb 2:10; 12:1-3).

(a) Canaan was the “promised land.” God had given it to Israel and told them repeatedly that He had (note on v 2 above). It was their inheritance and they had a right to it. Now believers in Christ have been given a very precious thing – life in Christ and exceeding precious promises relating to it (2 Pet 1:4). They have spiritual possessions in Christ (Eph 1:3) which they have a right to claim and enjoy. These include victory over spiritual enemies and in all the circumstances of life (Rom 8:37), the fullness of God’s Spirit (Eph 5:18), and similar blessings. Just as the giving of Canaan to Israel was all of grace so this life in Christ is all of grace (Eph 2:8-10).

(f) For victory in Canaan certain qualities were very necessary to Israel – courage, strength, an obedient heart, and a mind always occupied with the word of God. These qualities are no less needed in the believer’s spiritual warfare now.

(g) God gave Israel the promise of victory (1:5). He does so now to believers (John 8:31-36; 16:33; Rom 8:37; 1 Cor 15:57). (h) God promised Israel His continual presence, which indeed was the basis for their victory (1:5). So with us now (Matt 28:20; Heb 13:5,6). (i) By overcoming the enemy Israel inherited the land and dwelt in it. Compare Rev 21:7.

(b) What was promised to Israel they had to claim and possess. Believers in Christ now must claim the blessings given them in Christ. Their success in the Christian life will depend in large measure on claiming the promises of God by faith. What God gives, men must take. Believers may claim many things from God, and fight for them, and possess and enjoy them. Though the words “faith” and “believe” are not found in Joshua, faith was at the very basis of what they did. If they had not believed that God had given them the land they would not have gone in to possess it. If they had not believed God had appointed Joshua they would not have followed him. If they had not had faith in God’s instructions they would not have taken Jericho (see Heb 11:30). The relationship between faith and victory in the spiritual life now is made clear in the New Testament – Eph 6:16; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7; Heb 6:12; 10:35,36; 1 Pet 5:9; 1 John 5:4,5. By faith we receive the empowering Holy Spirit (Gal 3:2,14); by faith we walk (2 Cor 5:7; Gal 3:11); by faith we fight (Eph 6:16; 1 Tim 6:12).

(j) Taking the land was a process. It did not happen in a single day (11:18). Believers now do not immediately understand, claim, and enjoy all they have in Christ. See Paul’s prayers in Eph 1:15-19; 3:14-19.

(k) Even when Joshua was an old man and much of Canaan was taken there was still much land to be possessed (13:1; 23:4,5). Now how little of our riches in Christ do most believers ever claim and enjoy in this life! There is more to come (Matt 25:31-34; 1 Pet 1:4). 2:1 Shittim was east of the Jordan river in the plains of Moab. Jericho was a very ancient city eight kilometers west of the Jordan. It was a walled and fortified city which stood in the path of Israel’s invasion route into Canaan. Like all of the nations in Canaan the people of Jericho were hopelessly sinful and depraved (Lev 18:24-26; 20:23; Deut 18:9-12). God used Israel as an instrument of judgment on them.

(c) There were mighty enemies opposing Israel and they were determined that Israel should not possess the land (for example see 11:1-5). Believers in Christ have enemies far stronger and more determined than the Canaanites (Eph 6:10-12). These enemies would, if they could, prevent us from claiming our possessions in the heavenly places.

Yet there was mercy for anyone who turned to the Lord in repentance and faith. The experience of Rahab, herself a sinful woman, shows this (Josh 6:17; Heb 11:31; Jam 2:25). Rahab became one of the ancestors of Boaz into whose line king David was born (Ruth 4:21,22; Matt 1:5-6). From the line of David our Lord Jesus Christ was born. This

(d) Because there were enemies Israel was required to fight. Being passive or lazy

267 JOSHUA 2:24

“Look, tonight men from the children of Israel have come here to search out the country.” 3 And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out the whole country.”

14 And the men answered her, “Our life for yours, if you do not tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window; for her house was on the town wall, and she lived on the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Go to the mountain, so that the pursuers will not come across you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; and afterwards you can go your way.”

4 And the woman took the two men and hid them and spoke like this: “Some men came to me, but I did not know where they came from. 5 And it so happened that about the time the gates were being shut, when it was dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Go after them quickly, for you can catch up with them.” 6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had spread out on the roof. 7 And the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

17 And the men said to her, “We will be blameless about this oath to you which you have made us swear. 18 See, when we come into the land, you must tie this scarlet cord in the window from which you let us down. And you must bring your father and your mother and your brothers, and all your father’s household, to your home. 19 And it will be like this : whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be blameless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head, if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free of this oath to you which you have made us swear.”

8 And before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and she said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that your terror has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts melted, and no one had any courage left, because of you. For the LORD your God is God in heaven above, and in earth below. 12 Now, therefore, since I have showed you kindness, please swear to me by the LORD that you will also show kindness to my father’s household, and give me a true token 13 that you will save alive my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

21 And she said, “Let it be according to your words.” And she sent them away, and they left. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22 And they went away and came to the mountain and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had gone back. And the pursuers looked for them everywhere along the way but did not find them. 23 So the two men returned, came down from the mountain, crossed the Jordan and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “The LORD has definitely delivered the whole land into our hands, for all the inhabitants of the country are fainting because of us.”

shows us the greatness of God’s grace and how He can use a person who believes in Him. We are not told why the spies entered Rahab’s house. It is probable that she saw them first and invited them in so she could make an agreement with them that would save her life. Some Jewish scholars of olden times taught that Rahab was an innkeeper. If so, this might account for the spies going into her place. 2:5 Rahab told a deliberate lie to protect the spies. She had come to believe in the power of the one true God (Josh 2:9-11). The New Testament commends her for her faith (Heb 11:31; Jam 2:25), but not for her lying. God does not need the help of man’s lies to carry out His purposes. And no doubt God could have saved the lives of these spies without it. But even in lying Rahab showed her faith in the LORD. And

faith is very powerful with God. 2:8-11 Rahab’s words gave the spies a knowledge of the state of mind of the people of Jericho and of all of Canaan’s people. Of course this was encouraging information for Joshua (v 24). 2:10 Ex 14:21; Num 21:23-24,33-35. 2:11 Deut 4:39; Isa 42:8. 2:15 The outer wall of Jericho may have been as much as 30 feet high, and several feet thick. Rahab’s house may have been built between this wall and an inner wall, with a window over or through the outer wall. 2:18 Rahab’s house was the only safe place in Jericho. The scarlet line, the color of blood, may speak symbolically of protection through sacrifice (Ex 12:7,13; Heb 9:19-22). We are saved from the penalty of sin through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 9:28). His blood protects believers

JOSHUA 3:1 268

And Joshua rose early in the morning. And he and all the children of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and stayed there before they crossed over. 2 And this occurred after three days: the officers went through the camp, 3 and commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites carrying it, then you must set out from your place, and go after it. 4 Yet there must be a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and it. Do not go near it. This is so that you may know the way you should go; for you have not come this way before this.”

the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Therefore now take twelve men for yourselves out of the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. 13 And it will come about, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, rest in the water of the Jordan, that the water of the Jordan will be cut off from the water that come down from upstream, and they will stand up in a heap.”

5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6 And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Pick up the ark of the covenant, and cross over before the people.” And they picked up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

14 And so it happened. When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, and the priests carried the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 as those carrying the ark came to the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all of its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the water which came down from upstream stood and rose up in a heap, a great distance away at the town of Adam, that is near Zaretan. And the water that came down toward the Sea of the Plain, the Salt Sea, failed and was cut off. And the people crossed over directly opposite Jericho. 17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, and all the Israelites crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan.

7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you great in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses. 8 And you shall command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you must stand still in the Jordan.’”

9 And Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you

themselves to Him. 3:7 It was very important for the people to recognize that Joshua was God’s appointed leader. Otherwise they would not have followed him and disaster would have resulted. So God exalted him by openly demonstrating that He was with him. This demonstration was the miracle which follows. 3:8 The river Jordan was the border of the promised land, the boundary between the old life and the new. Crossing it is a symbol of entering into our possessions in Christ. 3:10 In the following miracle (vs 16,17), similar to the one performed at the Red Sea (Ex 14:21,22), God revealed His presence with His people. 3:11 “Lord of the whole earth” – Canaan belonged to God, not to the Canaanites, and He could give it to whomever He chose. 3:12 The twelve represented the whole nation. They had a work to do – 4:2-9. 3:15 “Harvest” – March to May was a time of harvest in that area. It was flood time in the Jordan because of seasonal rains and melting snow in the mountains to the north. 3:16 “Rose up in a heap” – God can as easily stop the flow of a flood as stop a small trickle of water. Great miracles are no more difficult to Him than small miracles. And when there is faith and obedience God will not be reluctant to do what He has promised.

from eternal destruction. Observe that Rahab’s faith could be a means of salvation to all in her family (6:25). 3:1 This chapter records a very important event in the history of Israel. After repeated promises by God to give them the land, after a few centuries in Egypt, and 40 years of wandering in the desert, at last they enter the promised land. 3:3-4 “Ark” – Ex 25:10-16. The ark of the covenant symbolized the presence of God with His people. Among other things it contained a copy of the law (Deut 31:9). Carrying it before the people signified God’s guidance and their readiness to follow Him and to accept His standards.

“Priests” – note at Ex 28:1. “Levites” – notes at Num 8:10-19. 3:4 “Two thousand cubits” – the people had to keep a certain distance from the ark. They were to show their respect for the holy things of God. We must never treat the things of God and His Word lightly. To do so is a very serious matter (Num 4:15; 1 Sam 6:19; 2 Sam 6:6-7; Heb 12:28). 3:5 “Sanctify yourselves” – people who want to follow the Lord need to be clean, separated from all that might defile them, fully dedicated to Him. Compare Rom 12:1,2; 2 Cor 7:1. The Lord works wonders among those who fully consecrate

269 JOSHUA 5:1

4 the presence of the people.

And it came about when all the people had finished crossing over the Jordan that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Take for yourself twelve men from the people, a man from each tribe, 3 and command them, saying, Take up for yourselves twelve stones here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, and carry them over with you, and leave them in the camping place, where you will camp tonight.”

12 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, crossed over armed before the children of Israel, just as Moses had told them. 13 About forty thousand of them prepared for war crossed over to battle, in the presence of the LORD, to the plains of Jericho.

14 On that day the LORD made Joshua great in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, just as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he appointed from the children of Israel, a man from each tribe, 5 and Joshua said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God to the middle of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, in accordance with the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 so that this may be a sign among you, so that when your children ask their fathers in the future, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them, ‘That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off.’ And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

15 And the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 16 “Command the priests, who carry the ark of the Testimony, to come up out of the Jordan.”

17 So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

18 And it came about, when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were set on dry land, that the water of the Jordan returned to its place and overflowed all its banks, just as it did before.

19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped in Gilgal, on the eastern boundary of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took from the Jordan, in Gilgal. 21 And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in the future, saying, ‘What do these stones mean ?’ 22 Then you must tell your children, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had passed over, just as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea which he dried up from before us until we had crossed over, 24 so that all the people of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you might fear the LORD your God forever.’”

8 And the children of Israel did just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD told Joshua, in accordance with the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

10 For the priests who carried the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people was finished, in accordance with all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and crossed over. 11 And it came about when all the people had finished crossing over that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over, in

And it came about, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were near the sea, heard that the LORD had dried

“Sea of the Plain” – the Dead Sea. 4:2-8 Verses 21-22. This memorial pillar was a remembrance, not simply of the crossing of the Jordan river, but of the great grace God showed to His people in bringing them thus far. It was to serve as a reminder of God’s goodness and power to the following generations. God often impressed on His people the duty of remembering His great acts (24:26; Deut 7:18; 8:2-4; 24:9). Compare 1 Cor 11:24-26; 2 Tim 2:8; Ps 103:2; 105:5. The believer should always call to mind the great things God has done and the way God has worked in his life. 4:12 Num 32:20-27. 4:13 Those 40,000 were from these

3 tribes only. 4:14 Note at 3:7. 4:19 “First month” – Ex 12:3. “Gilgal” – probably about three kilometers north of Jericho. 4:23 Ex 14:21-22. 4:24 God had two purposes in performing this miracle at the Jordan. He wanted all nations to know that He, the God of Israel, not their gods and idols, was the God of power. And He wanted His people to have a reverential awe of Him that would produce obedience in their lives. Notes on fear of the Lord at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:11-14; 111:10; Prov 1:7. 5:1 “Amorites” – Gen 15:16.“Melted” – 2:11.

JOSHUA 5:2 270

up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the children of Israel.

8 And it came about when they had finished circumcising all the people that they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.

9 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make sharp knives for yourself, and circumcise the children of Israel the second time.” 3 And Joshua made sharp knives for himself, and circumcised the children of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins.

10 And the children of Israel camped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate the old grain of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain on the same day. 12 And the manna ceased on the day after they ate the old grain of the land, and the children of Israel did not have manna any more; but they ate the produce of the land of Canaan that year.

4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males among the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, died in the desert on the way, after they came out of Egypt. 5 Now all the people who came out were circumcised, but they had not circumcised all the people who were born in the desert on the way after they came out of Egypt. 6 For the children of Israel walked about forty years in the desert until all the men of war among the people who came out of Egypt had perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD. The LORD swore that he would not show them the land which the LORD swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 7 Their children are the ones he raised up in their place; Joshua circumcised them, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.

13 And this occurred when Joshua was near Jericho: he raised his eyes and looked, and a man appeared standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went up to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14 And he said, “No, but I have now come as captain of the army of the LORD.”

And Joshua prostrated himself to the ground and worshipped, and said to him, “What does my Lord say to his servant?”

brought against Israel as they wandered in the desert uncircumcised and thus disobeying God’s covenant and seemingly forsaken by God. In Gilgal they became obedient to God’s covenant and ready to move forward with God. There was no longer any reason to reproach them. Gilgal became the base for Israel’s military operations in Canaan. Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word for “roll.” 5:10 See notes on Exodus chapter 12; Lev 23:5. No uncircumcised person was allowed to eat the Passover (Ex 12:48), so those who had grown up in the wilderness had been debarred from taking part in this remembrance. Their obedience in being circumcised now enabled them to remember the grace of God, and opened up a whole new pathway of blessing. A first step of obedience to God can mean the same for anyone. 5:11,12 “Without yeast” – Ex 12:15; Lev 23:6. “Grain” – not corn. Corn (maize) was not known in that day in that part of the world.

5:2-3 See note on Gen 17:9-14. Circumcision was a sign first given to Abraham (Rom 4:11). The law to circumcise each male child on the eighth day from his birth was incorporated in the Law of Moses (Lev 13:3), but it was neglected during the years of wilderness wandering (vs 5,7). No reason is given for this failure. According to the New Testament, circumcision is symbolic of putting off the flesh, the sinful nature (Phil 3:3; Col 2:11). It means that in an ungodly world we are willing to follow the Lord in godliness and righteousness. 5:4-6 The men who had come out of Egypt had been circumcised, but that did not automatically mean God’s blessing. The outward sign was useless if the heart and life were wrong. Though they were circumcised, they were unbelieving and disobedient (Num 14:21-23; Heb 3:19). No outward rite or ceremony is of any use to us if our hearts are not right with God – Rom 2:28,29; Gal 6:15; Isa 1:11-17. 5:7 God did not overlook the neglect of the sign of His covenant. He calls His people to obedience. In spite of their neglect of His law He showed grace and mercy to the nation during the long years of wandering (Deut 2:7), but they had to show obedience before they could enter their inheritance. Believers now cannot expect to overcome in the life of faith and enjoy their inheritance in Christ if they deliberately go on disobeying Him. 5:9 The “reproach of Egypt” possibly refers to the reproach the Egyptians would have

“Manna stopped” – the manna stopped because there was no longer need of it. Israel could begin to eat the food of the promised land. 5:13 “Man” – no doubt the angel of Jehovah. See note at Gen 16:7. Joshua did not recognize Him as a heavenly being. 5:14 The Lord did not come to join one side or the other. He came as the supreme commander of God’s army. This army was the nation of Israel, and any angelic forces which might be engaged in the conflict.

271 JOSHUA 6:19

15 And the captain of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Remove your sandal from your foot, for the place you are standing on is holy.” And Joshua did so.

the ark, the priests going on and blowing with the trumpets. 10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You must not shout or make any noise with your voice, and do not let a word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you must shout.” 11 So the ark of the LORD went around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp and stayed in the camp.

Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out and no one came in.

2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho and its king and valiant warriors into your hand. 3 And you must go around the city, all you men of war circling the city once. You must do this for six days. 4 And seven priests must carry seven ram’s horn trumpets before the ark. And on the seventh day you must go around the city seven times, and the priests must blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall be when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a loud shout. Then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people must go up, each man straight before him.”

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 And seven priests carrying seven ram’s horn trumpets before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them, but the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on and blowing with the trumpets. 14 And the second day they went around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 And this happened on the seventh day: they rose early at the dawning of the day and went around the city in the same way seven times. On that day only they went around the city seven times. 16 And it came about at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city. 17 And the city, it and all that is in it, will be accursed by the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute is to live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 And you must keep yourselves from the accursed thing, so that you will not make yourselves accursed by taking the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are consecrated to the LORD. They are to come into the LORD’s treasury.”

6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven ram’s horn trumpets before the ark of the LORD.” 7 And he said to the people, “Pass on and go around the city, and have him who is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.”

8 And it came about, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests carrying the seven ram’s horn trumpets passed on before the LORD and blew with the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests who blew with the trumpets, and the rear guard came after

Israel would not conquer and claim their inheritance with God merely on their side while they fought in their own way. They would conquer only in full obedience to God as their leader and commander. He would tell them where to go and what to do. So with believers now in their spiritual warfare. 5:15 The message is this: Joshua is in the presence of the supremely Holy One (compare Ex 3:5), and he must behave accordingly. 6:1 Verse 1 is a parenthesis. Verse 2 connects with 5:15. The commander of the LORD’s host goes on speaking to Joshua. He is Jehovah Himself. 6:2-5 Jericho was not conquered by military might. Its defeat was a result of God’s miraculous activity, and Israel’s faith. As in the crossing of Jordan (3:14-17), the ark of the covenant went before the people. This symbolized the powerful presence of the Lord guiding His people. Marching, trumpets and shouts do not bring down great walls and conquer cities. God works on principles

which are different from men’s (Isa 55:8,9; Luke 16:15; 2 Cor 10:3-5). He uses people and things which human wisdom counts totally inadequate (1 Cor 1:27-29). 6:6-21 Though the Lord’s instructions may have seemed strange to them, they obeyed their supreme commander, and obtained the very results He had described. Trust and obedience cannot be overemphasized in all our dealings with God. See Heb 11:30. 6:17 “Accursed by the LORD” – the Hebrew words indicate that Jericho was set apart for destruction (v 21), and that nothing in it was to come into the possession of the Israelites. The destruction was God’s judgment upon a totally debased people. See notes on God’s judgment at Gen 6:7; 15:16; Lev 18:24; Deut 13:12-18; 28:18,19; Rev 16:5-7. 6:18,19 Everything in Jericho was for God, nothing for man. Possibly this was to safeguard Israel from the corruption that comes from lusting and looting. Selfseeking always leads to spiritual ruin

JOSHUA 6:20 272

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets. Then this took place: when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a loud shout, the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each man straight before him. And they took the city, 21 and with the edge of the sword they utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey.

But the children of Israel acted unfaithfully

concerning the accursed thing, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the accursed thing. And the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.

2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and look at the land.” And the men went up and looked at Ai.

22 But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out of there the woman and all who belong to her, just as you swore to her.” 23 And the young men who had been the spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all that she had. They brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.

3 And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Don’t have all the people go up, but have about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai, and do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few in number.” 4 So about three thousand men from the people went up there, and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down among them about thirty-six men; for they chased them from in front of the gate to Shebarim, and struck them in the descent there. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

24 And they burned the city with fire, and everything that was in it; only the silver and the gold and the articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 And Joshua saved Rahab the prostitute alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had. And she lives in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

6 And Joshua tore his clothes and prostrated himself on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, both he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why did you ever bring this people over the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? Would to God we had been content and stayed on the other side of the Jordan. 8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turns their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us and cut our name

26 And Joshua made them take this oath at that time, saying, “Cursed in the presence of the LORD be the man who rises up and builds this city of Jericho. He will lay its foundation on his firstborn, and set up its gates on his youngest son.”

27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was heard of throughout the whole country.

(Jer 45:5; 1 Cor 10:24; Col 3:5). 6:20 The Bible does not tell us the means God used to bring the walls of Jericho crashing down. Whatever they were, the event was a miracle, the result of divine action working with the faith of the people (Heb 11:30). 6:21 Verse 17. Notes on destruction of nations at Gen 6:7; 15:6; Lev 18:24; Deut 13:12-18. 6:22-25 Rahab and her family were saved according to the promise made to her (2:14,17-20). Rahab is an example of faith (Heb 11:31; James 2:25). She was a Gentile, separated from Israel, but through faith became identified with the people of God. Her faith was effective in saving her entire family. Compare Gen 6:18; 7:1; Acts 16:31. 6:26 Five hundred years later, in the time of king Ahab, Joshua’s pronouncement against Jericho was disregarded. The city was rebuilt by a man called Hiel at the cost of two of his sons (1 Kings 16:34). 7:1 “Acted unfaithfully” – one man sinned but God regarded the whole nation as responsible. God looks upon His people as a unity. The sin of one affects all and is the

responsibility of all (v 11; 22:20; Lev 4:13-21; 2 Sam 21:1,2). No one lives to himself alone. Our actions always affect others for good or bad (compare Rom 14:7,13; 1 Cor 5:1,2,6; 12:26-27). “Anger” – note at Num 25:3; Ps 90:11; Rom 1:18. 7:2-5 Achan’s sin resulted in a humiliating defeat for the whole nation. 7:2 “Ai” – about 25 Kilometers from Jericho on the top of the hills that face the Jordan valley. 7:3 Does this suggest too much confidence in themselves? Did Joshua consult the Lord about this? See 8:1,3. 7:6 Tearing clothes, falling prostrate, and sprinkling dust are all evidence of their utter dismay, grief, and dejection. 7:7-9 Compare Ex 5:22; 14:11,12; 16:3; 17:3. This is not the language of faith and obedience, but of confusion and discouragement. Joshua should have been trying to find out the reasons for Israel’s defeat rather than questioning God’s guidance. 7:9 “What will you do for your great name” – Num 14:13-16; Deut 9:28,29. We should always be more concerned with God’s

273 JOSHUA 7:25

off from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

and he took the family of the Zarhites. And he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

10 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying like this on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have broken my covenant which I commanded them; for they have taken some of the accursed thing and have stolen and also used deception, and they have put it among their own things. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed. And I will not be with you any more unless you destroy the accursed among you.

19 And Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to him, and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”

20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, “Yes, I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 when I saw among the plunder a fine Babylonian garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them. And, look, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, and the silver is under it.”

13 “Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for this is what the LORD God of Israel says, There is an accursed thing among you, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away the accursed thing from among you. 14 Therefore in the morning you shall be brought near according to your tribes. Then it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes shall approach, according to its families; and the family which the LORD takes shall approach by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall approach man by man. 15 And it is to be like this: the one who is caught with the accursed thing shall be burned in the fire, he and all that he has, because he has broken the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, and the silver was under it. 23 And they took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the garment and the bar of gold and his sons and his daughters and his oxen and his donkeys and his sheep and his tent and all that he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.

16 So Joshua got up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought the family of Judah;

25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Today the LORD will trouble you.” And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them

reputation than with our own. 7:10-12 The Lord rebukes Joshua, because it was not a time to pray, but to obey (Ex 14:15). Sin had to be judged. Remember this – prayer is never a substitute for obedience. And why should God ever answer our prayers if we will not do what He says? 7:11 The sin was by one man, Achan, but notice “Israel has sinned”, “they have broken.”

“destruction.” That is, God may abandon us to punishment for it. Compare Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor 5:1-5; 11:30,31. And sin may make it impossible for God to work with us. 7:13 Nor can we successfully fight Satan and enjoy our inheritance in Christ if we permit sin to remain unconfessed, unjudged in our lives and churches. 7:14 “Takes” – evidently they cast lots to determine this. Compare Jud 20:9; 1 Sam 14:41,42; 1 Chron 24:5. 7:15 “Disgraceful thing” – Deut 22:21; Judges 19:23,24; 20:6,10; 2 Sam 13:12. 7:19 Confession and repentance was the only hope for Achan, and for Israel. 7:20,21 Many people have wrecked their lives and lost their souls because of greed for money and possessions (Mark 10:22,23; 1 Tim 6:9,10; etc). “Two hundred shekels” – about 2.3 kilograms. 7:24,25 God holds us responsible for the effects of our sin on others (6:18; Luke 17:1,2). Achor means “trouble.” Oh, sin is the great troubler of the people of God. Achan’s wife and children were also put to death. They must have had guilty knowledge of what Achan had done and kept

“Covenant”–6:17-19. See also Ex 20:15,17. “Accursed thing” – Achan was stealing from God – 6:19.

“Used deception” – the sin of deception or lying is often committed to cover up other sins. Notes and references on lying at Ex 20:16. Learn here also that God knows what people are doing (Heb 4:13). Achan hid everything from men but he could not hide anything from God. 7:12 “I will not be with you unless” – imagine what an impact such words had on Joshua. He knew very well that if God was not to be with them the whole war for Canaan was already lost. Two important lessons for us also are here – sin, if we do not judge it and put it away, will make us liable to

JOSHUA 7:26 274

with fire, after they stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones. They are there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called The Valley of Achor to this day.

counted the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 And all the people, the warriors who were with him, went up and drew near and came in front of the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between them and Ai. 12 And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 And that night when they had placed the people, all the army that was on the north of the city and their people in ambush on the west of the city, Joshua went out into the middle of the valley.

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, arise and go up to Ai. See, I have given the king of Ai and his people and his city and his land into your hand. 2 And you will do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. But you may take its plunder and its livestock as prey for yourselves. Place an ambush for the city behind it.”

14 Then this happened: when the king of Ai saw it, they hurriedly got up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a set time, before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel acted as if they were beaten before them, and ran away on the wilderness road. 16 And all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them, and pursuing Joshua they were drawn away from the city. 17 And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, who did not go out after Israel. And they left the city open and pursued Israel.

3 So Joshua arose, and all the warriors, to go up against Ai. And Joshua picked out thirty thousand brave fighting men and sent them away at night. 4 And he commanded them, saying, “Look, you are to lie in wait against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, and all of you be ready. 5 And I, and all the people who are with me, will approach the city. And it will come about that, when they come out against us, as at the first, we will run away from them 6 (For they will come out after us) until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are running away from us, as at the first.’ So we will run away from them. 7 Then you must rise up from the ambush, and capture the city; for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hands. 8 And when you have taken the city, it is to be like this: set the city on fire. You must act in accordance with the command of the LORD. See, I have commanded you.”

18 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hands.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. 19 And the ambush got up quickly out of their place, and as soon as he stretched out his hand they ran, entered the city, and took it, and hurriedly set the city on fire.

20 And when the men of Ai turned and looked behind them, they saw the smoke of the city rising up to the sky, and they were powerless to flee this way or that. And the people who had run toward the wilderness turned back on their pursuers. 21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the

9 So Joshua sent them away; and they went to lie in ambush and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai. But Joshua stayed that night among the people.

10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning and

quiet about it.

8:2 If Achan had waited, he would have received his part in this plunder. God gives us what He wants us to have in His own time (Matt 6:33) – if we trust and obey Him. 8:5 “Run away” – 7:4,5. 8:8 Deut 20:16-18. 8:12 There were apparently two ambushes, the one mentioned in vs 3,4 which was “behind the city”, and the one mentioned here “between Bethel and Ai”, possibly to deal with any attack that might come from Bethel. Ai and Bethel were very close together (12:9). There is no independent account of the conquest of Bethel, though the city was overcome in the taking of Canaan (12:16). It appears from v 17 that Bethel was an ally of Ai in this battle. 8:14 “The plain” – here means the Jordan valley. 8:18 8:26; Ex 17:11-12; Ps 44:3.

“Stoned him” – stoning was the penalty for breaking God’s law (Lev 20:2; 24:23; Num 15:36). 7:26 If we repent and accept His judgment upon our sins, God will turn from His anger (Num 25:4; Deut 13:17; etc).

“Achor” – the Hebrew word means “trouble” or “disaster.” From there Israel went on to victory at Ai and everywhere else. One defeat did not mean the war for Canaan was lost. So now a defeat in the Christian life does not mean that we cannot be overcomers and win the victory. 8:1 “Afraid or dismayed” – 7:6-9. Sin, defeat, and judgment would naturally bring fear and discouragement.

“All the warriors” – compare 7:3. God wanted the whole army to see the victory He would give at Ai, and so get back their courage and faith in His working.

275 JOSHUA 9:8

ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city was rising up, they turned back and killed the men of Ai. 22 And the other men came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that. And they struck them down, not letting any of them remain or escape. 23 But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

and their elders and officers and their judges stood on both this side and that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, the carriers of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, also the foreigners, just as those who had been born among them. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had previously commanded, so that they might bless the people of Israel.

24 And when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field in the wilderness where they had chased them, and when they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were destroyed, it came about that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. 25 And so it was that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand. All the men of Ai fell. 26 For Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he had stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the livestock and the plunder of that city Israel took as a prey for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.

34 And afterwards Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and curses, just as everything was written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the congregation of Israel with the women and the little ones and the foreigners who were living among them.

Then it came about when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the valleys and on all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite heard about this, 2 that they gathered together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.

28 And Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day. 29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening, but as soon as the sun had set, Joshua commanded them to take his carcass down from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and pile on it a great heap of stones. It remains to this day.

3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they acted cleverly and went and behaved as if they were ambassadors and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn and patched wineskins, 5 and put old mended sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. And all the bread they took for their provisions was dry and mouldy. 6 And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; so now make a treaty with us.”

30 Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel (as it is written in the book of the law of Moses), an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had used any iron tool. And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And there on the stones Joshua wrote a copy of the law of Moses. He wrote it in the presence of the children of Israel. 33 And all Israel

7 And the men of Israel said to those Hivites, “Perhaps you are living among us, and so how shall we make a treaty with you?”

8 And they said to Joshua, “We are your

8:29 Deut 21:22-23. 8:30-35 Deut 11:26-30; 27:1-8,14-26; chapter 29. Here Israel renews their covenant with God. They acknowledge that He is their God, they are His people. 8:30 “Mount Ebal” – the fortified town of Shechem lay at the foot of this mount. There is no record that Israel conquered it. Perhaps the town surrendered without a fight. Or its inhabitants may have shut themselves up inside the town from fear (compare 6:1; 5:1; 2:11). 8:31 Ex 20:25. “Peace offerings” – Lev 3:1. 8:32-35 At the beginning of their life in Canaan the people were called to renew their acceptance of God’s covenant. God wanted them to know clearly their responsibilities and privileges.

important it was that the people of God (including the children) hear and understand the Word of God. Compare Deut 6:6-9.

“Foreigners” – people, such as Rahab, who had joined themselves to Israel. 9:1 “Kings” – these kings were kings merely of cities with their surrounding villages, not of any very large areas.

“The great sea” – the Mediterranean. 9:3 “Gibeon” – in those days an important city (10:2) situated about 13 kilometers northwest of Jerusalem. 9:4-6 They were sure they faced certain defeat at the hands of Israel and sought a way to preserve themselves (v 24). 9:7 “Treaty” – God had forbidden Israel to make such agreements with people in Canaan. See Ex 23:31-33. 9:8 “Servants” – indicates complete

“Joshua read all” – he knew how very

JOSHUA 9:9 276

servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?”

19 But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel; so now we must not touch them. 20 This is what we will do to them: we will let them live so that wrath does not come on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and drawers of water for the whole congregation.” They did as the leaders told them.

9 And they said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. 11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants.”’ Therefore now make a treaty with us. 12 This is our bread which we brought for our provisions hot from our houses on the day we set out to come to you. But now, look, it is dry and mouldy. 13 And these wineskins were new when we filled them, and, look, they are torn. And these clothes and sandals of ours have worn out because of the very long journey.”

22 And Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We live very far from you’, when you were living among us? 23 Therefore now you are accursed, and none of you will be freed from being slaves and woodcutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.”

24 And they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were plainly told that the LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we had great fear for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 25 And now, see, we are in your hands. Do to us what seems good and right to you to do.”

14 And the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask counsel from the mouth of the LORD. 15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a treaty with them to let them live. And the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

26 And so he did to them and delivered them from the hands of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. 27 And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this very day, in the place which he chose.

16 And it so happened that at the end of three days after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbours and that they lived among them. 17 And the children of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kirjath-Jearim. 18 And the children of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD of Israel. And all the congregation grumbled against the leaders.

Now it came about when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it (he had done to Ai and its king just as he had done to Jericho and its king), and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 that

submission. 9:9 “We have heard” – 2:9,10; 5:1. 9:14,15 The defeat at Ai had taught Israel the need to obey God, but they still had not learned the need for God’s guidance at every step. Joshua was an experienced man and a spiritual one, but he made the error of using his own judgment and trusting in outward appearances. Every believer should learn to live under the constant guidance of God. If we do not seek God’s guidance about our activities we are certain to make many mistakes. 9:16 When men use their own judgment without reference to God, they should not be surprised if men deceive them. 9:18,19 A promise once made must be honored (Ps 15:4; Eccl 5:4,5; Matt 5:37; Jam 5:12). The Israelites had been deceived, but this was no reason for them to break their word. When someone else does wrong, that does not give us also the right to do wrong. Speaking the truth must

be an essential part of the believer’s life and witness in an untruthful world – Ps 15:2; 51:6; Phil 2:15. “Grumbled” – the people, possibly with their eyes on the possessions they might gain by attacking Gibeon and its allies, resisted the decision of their leaders to keep their promises. They should have known that God’s standards cannot be set aside simply because obedience is inconvenient or costs something. 9:23 “Accursed” – lying and deception will always have unhappy consequences.

“Drawers of water” – these Canaanites became a partial fulfilment of Gen 9:25,26. Later on the tabernacle was at Gibeon for a time (2 Chron 1:3,5). This curse that made them menial laborers, without freedom to become anything else, perhaps became a means of blessing to many of these Gibeonites, for their service was for the house of God. And it is God’s way to turn curses into blessings when He sees faith in

277 JOSHUA 10:23

they were very afraid, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai and all its men were mighty. 3 Therefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me, and help me, so that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.”

12 Then Joshua spoke to the LORD on the day that the LORD delivered up the Amorites to the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still on Gibeon, and you, moon, in the valley of Ajalon!”

13 And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the people had taken vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, a day when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.

5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped in front of Gibeon and made war against it.

15 And Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal, and all Israel went with him.

6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who live in the mountains have gathered against us.”

16 But those five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17 And someone told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in a cave at Makkedah.” 18 And Joshua said, “Roll large stones over the mouth of the cave and place men by it to guard them. 19 And do not stay there, but pursue your enemies and attack those in the rear. Don’t let them enter their cities; for the LORD your God has delivered them into your hands.”

7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him and all the brave fighting men. 8 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not a man of them will stand before you.”

9 Therefore Joshua came on them suddenly, going up from Gilgal all night. 10 And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel and struck them down with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the road that goes up to BethHoron and struck them down as far as Azekah, and Makkedah. 11 And it happened as they fled from before Israel, and were in the descent to Beth Horon, that the LORD hurled great stones down from heaven on them as far as Azekah; and many died. More died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword.

20 And it came about, when Joshua and the children of Israel had finished striking them down with a very great slaughter until they were destroyed, that those of them who remained entered fenced cities. 21 And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace; no one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out of the cave to me.” 23 And they did so, bringing those five kings out of the cave to him, the king of Jerusalem, the

the human heart. Compare Gen 50:20. 10:3,4 Here are five of the most important cities of southern Canaan at that time. 10:6,7 Joshua had made a pact with the Gibeonites, so he thought it was right to honor it and defend them. 10:8 1:5; 21:44. God used confusion (v 10), hailstones (v 11), and a mighty miracle (v 13) to defeat these armies. 10:9 Gilgal was about 30 kilometers east of Gibeon and the terrain was hill country. 10:10 “Makkedah” – towns in the foothills west of Gibeon. 10:11 God sometimes used natural things in a supernatural way. Compare Ex 14:21; 1 Sam 7:10; Josh 24:12. 10:12 Joshua was inspired to offer this unique and wonderful prayer. And he prayed it publicly. 10:13,14 The book of Jasher has been lost and we do not know what else it contained. This miracle recorded in it was unparalleled in the history of man. There have been

many days when God heard the prayers of His servants and did miraculous things, but none like this day. We do not know what changes occurred in the rotation of the earth or moon, or whether the entire solar system was affected in some way. But the author of these notes is sure that on that exceptional day, from the point of view of the earth, the sun and moon seemed to stand still in the sky for several hours.

If God arises to fight for His people He may use any of what are called the forces of nature He chooses, and it would be no more difficult for Him to make a temporary change in the whole solar system than to cause hailstones to fall from the sky. Compare Ex 14:21; Ps 18:6-15; Acts 16:25,26. “Taken vengeance on” (v 13) – or it could be translated “triumphed over.” 10:15 Verse 43. Verses 16-42 give a further description of events that took place before Joshua returned to Gilgal.

JOSHUA 10:24 278

king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24 And it happened, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel and said to the captains of the warriors who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they came near and put their feet on their necks.

34 And from Lachish Joshua, and all Israel with him, went on to Eglon and camped against it and fought against it. 35 And they took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword and that day utterly destroyed every soul who was in it, just as he had done everything to Lachish.

36 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, went up from Eglon to Hebron and fought against it, 37 and took it and with the edge of the sword struck it and its king and all its cities and every soul that was in it. He did not leave anyone remaining, just as he had done everything to Eglon. He utterly destroyed it and every soul who was in it.

25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do like this to all your enemies that you fight against.” 26 And afterwards Joshua struck them down and killed them, and hung them on five trees. And they were hanging on the trees until evening. 27 And it happened at the time of sunset that Joshua gave a command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden and laid large stones at the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.

38 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to Debir and fought against it. 39 And he took it and its king and all its cities. And they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed every soul who was in it. He did not leave anyone. He did to Debir and to its king just as he had done to Hebron, and just as he had done to Libnah and to its king.

28 And that day Joshua took Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed its king and every soul who was in it. He did not allow anyone to remain. He did to the king of Makkedah just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

40 So Joshua attacked the whole hill country and the land of the south and of the valley and of the springs, and all their kings. He did not leave anyone, but utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD God of Israel commanded. 41 And Joshua struck them from Kadesh-Barnea to Gaza, and all the country of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at the same time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

29 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, went on to Libnah and fought against Libnah. 30 And the LORD delivered it also and its king into the hands of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword and every soul who was in it. He did not allow anyone to remain in it, but did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.

43 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, returned to the camp at Gilgal.

31 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, went on from Libnah to Lachish and camped against it and fought against it. 32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hands of Israel. They took it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword and every soul who was in it, just as he had done everything to Libnah. 33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people down until he left no one left to him.

And it happened when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph 2 and to the kings who were in the northern mountains and in the plains south of Kinneroth and in the valley and in the regions of Dor on the west 3 and to the Canaanite in the east

10:24 “Put your feet on” – signifying Israel’s complete victory. 10:25 1:9; 8:1. 10:26,27 Deut 21:22-23. 10:28-40 In these verses the words “utterly destroyed” and “did not leave anyone” appear again and again. In this Israel was obeying God’s clear command (Deut 7:2,16; 20:16-18). The time to judge and destroy godless, hardened, unrepentant peoples had come. See Gen 6:7; 15:16; Lev 18:24; Rev 16:1-7. 10:40,41 This concluded the campaign to conquer the southern portion of the land of Canaan. The Goshen in v 41 was a place in the southeast part of the desert region of Canaan, not the Goshen in the land of Egypt seen in Gen 45:10 and 47:1.

10:42 “Because” – we are reminded again that Israel’s victories were not the result of their skill in warfare, but because of God’s presence with them, fighting for them. This is a key verse in Joshua. The person seen in 5:13-15 was with them all the way as commander of their army. See also v 14; 23:10; Ex 14:14; Ps 136:24. 11:1 This chapter brings us to the final section of Joshua’s campaign. It records how the northern regions of the promised land were conquered. Hazor was the largest and best fortified of all the cities in Canaan. It was located about 15 kilometers north of the sea of Galilee. Today there remains only ruins (v 11). 11:2-5 Jabin collected a mighty army from his own people and from his numerous

279 JOSHUA 12:1

and in the west and to the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the mountains and to the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. 4 And they went out, they and all their armies with them, a people as many as the sand on the seashore in number, with a great many horses and chariots. 5 And all these kings assembled and came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

livestock, as prey for themselves; but they struck down every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, not leaving anyone breathing. 15 Moses commanded Joshua just as the LORD commanded his servant Moses, and Joshua did accordingly. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses. 16 So Joshua took all that land, the hills and all the south country and all the land of Goshen and the valley and the plain and the hill country of Israel and its lowland, 17 from Mount Halak that rises toward Seir to Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he captured all their kings, struck them down and killed them. 18 For a long time Joshua waged war with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon; all the others they captured in battle. 20 For it was the LORD’s purpose to harden their hearts, so that they would come against Israel in battle, that Joshua might utterly destroy them; that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

6 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for about this time tomorrow I will deliver them up before Israel, all killed. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”

7 So Joshua, and all the warriors with him, suddenly came against them at the waters of Merom and attacked them. 8 And the LORD delivered them into Israel’s hands, who struck them and chased them to great Sidon, and to Misrephoth Maim and to the valley of Mizpeh on the east, and struck them down until they had no survivor left. 9 And Joshua did to them just as the LORD had ordered him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

21 And at that time Joshua went and cut off the Anakim from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah and from all the mountains of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22 None of the Anakim was left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. 23 So Joshua took the whole land, in accordance with all that the LORD said to Moses. And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

10 And at that time Joshua turned back and took Hazor and struck its king with the sword; for previously Hazor was the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And with the edge of the sword they struck down every soul in it, utterly destroying them. There was no one left breathing. And he burned Hazor with fire.

12 And Joshua captured all the cities of those kings and all their kings, and struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed them, just as Moses the LORD’s servant commanded. 13 But as for the cities standing on their mounds, Israel did not burn any of them, except Hazor. Joshua did burn that. 14 And the children of Israel took all the plunder of these cities, and the

Now these are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel struck down and took possession of their land on the other side Jordan

allies from all over the northern area of Canaan. Their horses and chariots should have given them military advantage. But God fought for Israel. Merom was (probably) about thirteen kilometers northwest of the sea of Galilee. “Kinnereth” is another name for Galilee. 11:6 “Hamstring” – this means cutting the great tendon at the back of the leg near the foot. The animals could not be used again. The Canaanites trusted in horses and chariots; Israel trusted in God. Compare 1 Chron 5:20; Ps 20:7. 11:8 The Lord once again gained the victory for them. 11:11,12 10:28-40. 11:15 It was this obedience that was so important in conquering the land of promise (1:7,8). 11:18 “A long time” – several years (14:10). The believer’s fight now against spiritual

enemies will not be over in a day. 11:20 “Harden” – see note on Ex 4:21. “Might utterly destroy them” – note at 10:28-40. 11:21,22 “Anakim” – the sight of this strong and tall people had brought fear to the hearts of the spies who searched the land in the days of Moses (Num 13:33). Later Moses spoke of them (Deut 9:2). Here special mention is made of the victory over them. No foe is too strong for the Lord (Rom 8:31; Eph 6:10; 1 John 4:4; 5:4). 11:23 Verse 15; Deut 12:10; Num 34:2. For believers now there are times of rest before the final rest (Heb 4:9,11). And a greater than Joshua leads us there. The Lord Jesus has fought and won our inheritance for us and enables us to enter into it and gives to each his portion. 12:1-6 A list of the kings defeated by Moses on the west side of Jordan (Num 21:21-35;

JOSHUA 12:2 280

toward the sunrise, from the Arnon river to Mount Hermon and all the eastern plain:

king of Hazor, one; 20 the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; 21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; 22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one; 23 the king of Dor in the region of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one; 24 the king of Tirzah, one; thirty-one kings in all.

2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Arnon river, and from the middle of the river and from half Gilead to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon, 3 and from the plain to the sea of Kinneroth on the east, and to the Sea of the Plain, the Salt Sea, on the east, the way to Beth Jeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdoth-Pisgah; 4 and the territory of Og king of Bashan, who was one of the survivors of the giants, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 and reigned in Mount Hermon and in Salcah and in all Bashan to the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there still remains very much land to be possessed.

2 “This is the land that still remains: all the areas of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, 3 from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, to the borders of Ekron on the north, which is counted as Canaanite territory; five lords of the Philistines; the Gazaites and the Ashdodites, the Ashkalonites, the Gittites and the Ekronites; also the Avites; 4 from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah which is controlled by the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites; 5 and the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance to Hamath.

6 Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel struck them down, and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it as a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh.

7 And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel struck down on this, the western, side of the Jordan, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak that rises to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, 8 in the mountains and in the valleys and in the plains and in the slopes and in the desert and in the south country, among the Hittites, the Amorites and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites:

6 “As for all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-Maim, and all the Sidonians, I will drive them out from before the children of Israel. Only divide it by lot to the Israelites as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7 Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh.”

8 With Manasseh’s other half, the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them beyond Jordan eastward. Moses, the LORD’s servant, gave them 9 from Aroer, that is on the bank of the Arnon river, and the city that is in the middle of the river valley and all the plain of Medeba to Dibon, 10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon, 11 and Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maachathites and all Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salcah, 12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained from the survivors of the giants.

9 The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is next to Bethel, one; 10 the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; 12 the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; 13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; 16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; 17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19 the king of Madon, one; the

2:24-33; 3:8-17). “Kinnereth” (v 3) – Galilee. “Sea of the Plain” – the Dead Sea. 12:6 Num 32:29-33. 12:7-24 A list of the kings defeated by Joshua on the west side of Jordan. 12:7 See 11:17. 13:1 “Joshua was old” – probably over 90. “Very much land to be possessed” – mostly areas along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in the far north of the land. As regards the believer’s inheritance in Christ, no matter how much he has

claimed for himself there is still a very great deal to be claimed and enjoyed. We should never think we have attained everything attainable (Phil 3:12). 13:6,7 Joshua was to divide the land in anticipation of final victory. Each tribe, each individual was responsible to enter into the allotted inheritance. How much of our spiritual inheritance in Christ have we entered into? Oh, what riches of glory are in Him, what spiritual fields and flowing valleys and high mountain peaks! – Eph 1:3. 13:8-12 Num 21:33-35; 32:31-33.

281 JOSHUA 14:8

For Moses attacked these and drove them out. 13 However the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites; and the Geshurites and the Maachathites live among the Israelites to this day.

their families, the cities and their villages.

29 And Moses gave an inheritance to the half tribe of Manasseh. And this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families: 30 their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities; 31 and half Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir by their families.

14 Only he did not give an inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Their inheritance is the sacrifices by fire to the LORD God of Israel, just as he said to them.

15 And Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families. 16 And their boundary was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the Arnon river, and the city that is in the middle of the river valley and all the plain at Medeba; 17 Heshbon and all its towns in the plain; Dibon and Bamoth Baal and Beth Baal Meon 18 and Jahaza and Kedemoth and Mephaath 19 and Kirjathaim and Sibmah and Zareth Shahar on the hill in the valley 20 and Beth Peor and Ashdoth Pisgah and Beth Jeshimoth 21 and all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck down with the princes of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes with Sihon, living in the country.

32 These are the regions which Moses allotted as an inheritance on the plains of Moab, on the other side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho, eastward. 33 But Moses did not give any inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said to them.

And these are the regions which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the tribes of the fathers of the children of Israel allotted as an inheritance to them. 2 Their inheritance (for the nine tribes and for the half tribe) was by lot, just as the LORD commanded through Moses. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of two and a half tribes on the other side of the Jordan. But he did not give any inheritance among them to the Levites. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim; so they gave no portion in the land to the Levites, except cities to live in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property. 5 The children of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they allotted the land.

22 Among those whom the children of Israel slaughtered with the sword they also killed Balaam the son of Beor, who practiced divination.

23 And the border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan and its border. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.

24 And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families. 25 And their territory was Jazer and all the cities of Gilead and half the land of the children of Ammon to Aroer that is before Rabbah, 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath-Mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir; 27 and in the valley, Beth-Aram and Beth-Nimrah and Succoth and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and its border, to the shore of the Sea of Kinnereth on the other side of the Jordan, eastward. 28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to

6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said to him, “You know the word that the LORD spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadesh-Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when the LORD’s servant Moses sent me from Kadesh-Barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him back word just as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brothers who went up with me caused the heart of the people to melt, but I fully followed

13:13 The land as a whole was conquered, but the individual tribes failed to drive all of their enemies out of their territories. See Judges 1:19-36, and see the result in Judges 2:1-3. 13:14 Verse 33; Deut 10:9; 18:1-2. Note at Num 18:8-32. 13:22 “Balaam” – Num 22:5; 31:8. 13:27 “Kinnereth” – Galilee. 14:1 Num 34:16-19. 14:2 Num 26:55,56; Prov 16:33. In this way God Himself was the one who allotted an inheritance to each tribe, to each family.

It was never a matter of personal choice. Now too God gives to each believer what He, in His wisdom, sees he should have in the matter of spiritual gifts as he serves in the heavenly places (Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:411). And God determines our place in Christ’s Body, the Church (1 Cor 12:14-26). 14:3,4 “Levites” – 13:14. “Ephraim” – Gen 48:5. 14:6 Num 14:6-9,24,30; 32:11,12. This took place 38 years before but it was still fresh in the mind of the 85-year-old Caleb. 14:7-8 Num 13:31-32.

JOSHUA 14:9 282

the LORD my God. 9 And that day Moses gave an oath, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance, and your children’s, forever, because you have fully followed the LORD my God.’

of Bohan the son of Reuben; 7 and the border went on up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, facing Gilgal, that is before the ascent to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river; and the border continued to the waters of En-Shemesh, and its end was at En-Rogel. 8 And the border proceeded by the valley of the son of Hinnom to the south side of the Jebusite (this is Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain that rises before the valley of Hinnom on the west, which is at the end of the Valley of the Giants on the north. 9 And the border was drawn from the top of the hill to the spring of the water of Nephtoah, and went on to the cities of Mount Ephron, and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjath-Jearim. 10 And the border turned around from Baalah on the west to Mount Seir and passed along to the side of mount Jearim, which is Kesalon, on the north, and went down to Beth-Shemesh and continued on to Timnah. 11 And the border went on to the side of Ekron on the north; and the border was drawn to Shicron and continued along to Mount Baalah and went out to Jabneel. And the end of the border was at the Sea.

10 “And now, see, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the desert. And now, look, today I am eighty-five years old. 11 Yet I am as strong today as I was on the day that Moses sent me. My strength now is the same as my strength was then, for war and to go out and come in. 12 Now therefore give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were large and fortified. If the LORD will be with me, then I will be able to drive them out, just as the LORD said.”

13 And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite to this day, because he fully followed the LORD God of Israel. 15 And previously the name of Hebron was Kirjath-Arba (this Arba was a great man among the Anakim). And the land had rest from war.

12 And the western border was at the Great Sea and its coast. This is the border around the children of Judah, according to their families.

13 And he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. 14 And Caleb drove away from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 And he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (previously the name of Debir was Kirjath-Sepher).

This then was the allotment for the tribe of the children of Judah by their families: it reached the border of Edom, on the south the desert of Zin at the farthest southern point. 2 And their southern border was from the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces south. 3 Then it went on south to Maaleh-Akrabbim and passed along to Zin and rose on the south side to KadeshBarnea and passed along to Hezron and went up to Adar and turned about to Karka. 4 From there it went to Azmon and continued to the river of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This will be your southern border.

16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage to the one who attacks KirjathSepher and captures it.” 17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it; and he gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage. 18 And it came about when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask a field from her father. And as she descended from her donkey Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”

5 And the eastern border was the Salt Sea, up to the end of the Jordan. And their northern border was from the bay of the sea at the extreme end of the Jordan. 6 And the border went up to Beth-Hoglah and continued to the north of Beth-Arabah; and the border went up to the stone

19 She answered, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me a land in the south, give me also

14:9 Deut 1:34-36. 14:10 This was 7 years after Israel under Joshua moved into Canaan. 14:11,12 Caleb maintained his spiritual vitality and faith right into old age. Even then he did not look for an easy way, but for more opportunities to serve the Lord in difficult places. He is an example to all who are advanced in years. The Bible has messages for the old, as well as for everyone else.

See Ps 92:12-15; Isa 40:29-31; 46:4. 14:13,14 Caleb was the only individual, except Joshua (19:49,50), who was permitted to choose his inheritance. These were the only two left alive of all the generation, aged 20 years and over, that came out of Egypt. 15:2 “Salt Sea” – Dead Sea (also v 5). 15:12 “Great Sea” – the Mediterranean. 15:13-19 14:12; Jud 1:10-15,20. 15:18,19 “The south” – in Hebrew “The

283 JOSHUA 16:10

springs of water.” And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

with their villages; 55 Maon, Carmel and Ziph and Juttah, 56 and Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah, 57 Cain, Gibeah and Timnah; ten cities with their villages; 58 Halhul, Beth-Zur and Gedor, 59 and Maarath and Beth-Anoth and Eltekon; six cities with their villages; 60 Kirjath-Baal, which is Kirjath-Jearim, and Rabbah; two cities with their villages; 61 in the wilderness, Beth Arabah, Middin and Secacah, 62 and Nibshan, and the city of Salt and Engedi; six cities with their villages.

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.

21 And the most distant cities of the tribe of the children of Judah on the south toward the territory of Edom were Kabzeel and Eder and Jagur 22 and Kinah and Dimonah and Adadah 23 and Kedesh and Hazor and Ithnan, 24 Ziph and Telem and Bealoth, 25 and Hazor, Hadattah and Kerioth and Hezron, which is Hazor, 26 Amam and Shema and Moladah 27 and Hazar-Gaddah and Heshmon and Beth-Palet, 28 and Hazar Shual and Beersheba and Bizjothjah, 29 Baalah and Iim and Azem, 30 and Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah, 31 and Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah, 32 and Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon; in all, twenty-nine cities, with their villages.

63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out, and the Jebusites live among the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

And the allotment of the children of Joseph fell from the Jordan at Jericho to the water of Jericho on the east to the wilderness that extends up from Jericho through the hill country of Bethel, 2 and continues out from Bethel to Luz, and proceeds along to the borders of Archi to Ataroth, 3 and goes down on the west to the border of Japhleti to the border of Upper Beth-Horon and on to Gezer. And its end was at the Sea.

33 And in the lowlands were Eshtaol and Zoreah and Ashmah, 34 and Zanoah and Engannim, Tappuah and Enam, 35 Jarmuth and Adullam, Socoh and Azekah, 36 and Sharaim and Adithaim and Gederah and Gederothaim; fourteen cities with their villages; 37 Zenan and Hadashah and Migdal-Gad, 38 and Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel, 39 Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon, 40 and Cabbon and Lahmam and Kithlish, 41 and Gederoth, BethDagon and Naamah and Makkedah; sixteen cities with their villages; 42 Libnah and Ether and Ashan, 43 and Jiphtah and Ashnah and Nezib, 44 and Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages; 45 Ekron, with her towns and her villages; 46 from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages; 47 Ashdod with her towns and her villages; Gaza with her towns and her villages, to the river of Egypt, and the Great Sea and its shoreline; 48 and in the mountains, Shamir and Jattir and Socoh, 49 and Dannah and Kirjath-Sannah, which is Debir, 50 and Anab and Eshtemoh and Anim, 51 and Goshen and Holon and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages; 52 Arab and Dumah and Eshean, 53 and Janum and Beth-Tappuah and Aphekah, 54 and Humtah and Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, and Zior; nine cities

4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim took their inheritance.

5 And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was this : the border of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-Addar, to Upper Beth-Horon; 6 and the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north; and the border turned about on the east to TaanathShiloh and continued on by it on the east to Janohah; 7 and it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and to Naarath and came to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan. 8 The border went out from Tappuah on the west to the stream of Kanah; and its end was at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. 9 And the cities set apart for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

10 And they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, and the Canaanites live among

Negev.” This was a dry desert area in the south of Canaan. Therefore Achsah’s request for springs of water was reasonable. 15:63 Judges 1:21; 2 Sam 5:6-7. The efforts of Judah and Benjamin were unsuccessful in driving out the Jebusites. Other tribes had similar difficulties – Jud 1:19-36. God had assured Joshua that no one would be able to withstand them if they were obedient to His law (1:5-8). The weakness or defeat, not only of Benjamin and Judah, but of other tribes also, was the result of partial obedience, and feeble faith. If we now fail to claim and experience victories in the heavenly

places the reasons will be the same. 16:1 The two tribes descended from Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim) received as their inheritance some of the finest, most fruitful areas in Canaan. See the blessings pronounced on them by Jacob in Gen 49:2226 and by Moses in Deut 33:13-17. Since the lot for their inheritance was determined by God this suggests that past behavior, God’s foreknowledge of the future, and the inspired words of Jacob and Moses concerning the tribes, had much to do with the inheritance each tribe received. 16:10 Another instance of incomplete

JOSHUA 17:1 284

the Ephraimites to this day and serve as forced laborers.

Asher on the north and in Issachar on the east.

11 And Manasseh had in the territories of Issachar and Asher Beth-Shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, three areas.

There was also an allotment for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph; an allotment for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead. Because he was a warrior, he had Gilead and Bashan. 2 There was also an allotment for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families, for the children of Abiezer and for the children of Helek and for the children of Asriel and for the children of Shechem and for the children of Hepher and for the children of Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.

12 But the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. 13 But it happened, when the children of Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not completely drive them out.

3 But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh had no sons, only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 4 And they approached the presence of Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore, in accordance with the commandment of the LORD, he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father. 5 And ten portions fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, 6 because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons, and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

14 And the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me only one allotment and one portion to inherit, since I am a numerous people? Up to now the LORD has blessed me.”

15 And Joshua answered them, “If you are a numerous people, then go up to the forest area and clear land for yourself there in the region of the Perizzites and the giants, since the hill country of Ephraim is too cramped for you.”

16 And the children of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the lowlands have iron chariots, both the ones who belong to Beth-Shean and her towns, and the ones who are in the valley of Jezreel.”

17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous people and have great strength; you are not to have just one allotment, 18 for the mountain will be yours. It is forest, and you shall clear it, and it shall be yours to the end of it. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and though they are strong.”

7 And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethah, which was east of Shechem; and the border went along toward the south to the inhabitants of En-Tappuah. 8 Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. 9 And the border descended to the river Kanah, to the south of the river. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river, and it ended at the Sea. 10 On the south it was Ephraim’s, and on the north it was Manasseh’s, and the Sea was their border; and they met in

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

17:14 “Joseph” – Manasseh and Ephraim. 17:15-18 They claimed to be a great people in v 14, yet now (v 16) express their fear that they would not be able to defeat the Canaanites. Where was their faith? Joshua tells them to act like the great people they profess to be. It was faith in operation that would lay hold of all their inheritance, not their boasting of God’s blessing. 18:1 The tent of meeting, the tabernacle, was set up at Shiloh which remained the principal holy place throughout the time of the Judges. Shiloh was located in the territory of Ephraim about 16 kilometers north of Bethel and about twice that distance from

victory because of disobedience. In this case it is not written that they could not drive them out, only that they did not. They had been commanded not to permit any of the Canaanites to live among them – Deut 20:16-18. The Canaanites were still in Gezer a few centuries later, in king Solomon’s time (1 Kings 19:16). Note at Josh 15:63. 17:3-4 Num 27:1-11. In Christ women and men share equally in the inheritance – in regard to that there is neither male nor female (Gal 3:28). 17:11-13 15:63; 16:10; Jud 1:27-28. Here is yet another example of weakness due to disobedience. See note at 15:63.

285 JOSHUA 19:5

2 And seven tribes remained among the children of Israel which had not yet received their inheritance.

south, from the hill that rises before Beth-Horon on the south. And its end was at Kirjath-Baal, which is Kirjath-Jearim, a city of the children of Judah. This was the western side.

3 And Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you be slack in going to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers has given you? 4 Appoint from among yourselves three men for each tribe, and I will send them out; and they will rise and go throughout the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. 5 And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah is to stay in their borders in the south, and the house of Joseph is to stay in their borders in the north. 6 So you shall write a description of the seven divisions of the land, and bring the description here to me, so that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. 7 But the Levites are to have no portion among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which the LORD’s servant Moses gave them.”

15 And the south side was from the end of Kirjath-Jearim, and the border went on to the west and continued to the well of the waters of Nephtoah; 16 and the border came down to the end of the mountain that rises before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Giants on the north, and went down to the valley of Hinnom to the southern side of Jebusi, and descended to En-Rogel. 17 And it was drawn from the north, and went on to En-Shemesh, and continued toward Geliloth, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, and went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben, 18 and proceeded along toward the side opposite the Arabah on the north and went down to the Arabah; 19 and the border continued along by the side of Beth-Hoglah on the north; and the end of the border was at the north bay of the Salt Sea at the southern end of Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

8 And the men arose and went away. Joshua had given orders to those who went to write a description of the land, saying, “Go and walk through the land, and write a description of it, and come back to me, so that I may cast lots for you before the LORD here in Shiloh.”

20 And the Jordan was its border on the eastern side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by its surrounding boundaries, according to their families.

21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Beth-Hoglah and the valley of Keziz, 22 and Beth-Arabah and Zemaraim and Bethel, 23 and Avim and Parah and Ophrah, 24 and KepharHaammonai and Ophni and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages; 25 Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth, 26 and Mizpeh and Kephirah and Mozah, 27 and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah, 28 and Zelah, Eleph and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

9 And the men went and passed through the land and wrote a description of it by cities in seven divisions in a book and came back to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. 10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua apportioned the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

11 And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families. And the territory of their lot came between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. 12 And their border on the north was from the Jordan; and the border went up by the side of Jericho on the north and continued up through the mountains to the west; and its end was at the wilderness of Beth-Aven. 13 And the border went on from there toward Luz, at the side of Luz, which is Bethel, to the south; and the border went down to AtarothAdar, near the hill that rises to the south of Lower Beth-Horon. 14 And the border was drawn from there and went around the edge of the sea on the

And the second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. And their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.

2 And in their inheritance they had Beersheba and Sheba and Moladah, 3 and Hazarshual and Balah and Azem, 4 and Eltolad and Bethul and Hormah, 5 and Ziklag and Beth-Marcaboth and

Jerusalem. The tabernacle remained in Shiloh until the time of Samuel. Note on the tent of meeting at Ex 25:8. The land as a whole had been conquered but it had to be claimed by the individual tribes and settled. 18:6 Note on 14:2. 18:7 13:33; Num 18:20; Deut 18:1-6. The priests and Levites had the greatest

inheritance of them all. 18:10 The division of the land was begun at Gilgal (13:7), and was then continued at Shiloh where land was allotted to the remaining seven tribes (v 2). 18:19 “Salt Sea” – Dead Sea. 19:1-9 Simeon’s inheritance was in the south of the land, within the allotment made to

JOSHUA 19:6 286

Hazar-Susah, 6 and Beth-Lebaoth and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages; 7 Ain, Remmon and Ether and Ashan; four cities and their villages; 8 and all the villages that surrounded these cities to Baalath-Beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. 9 The inheritance of the children of Simeon was from the portion of the children of Judah; for the portion of the children of Judah was too much for them. So the children of Simeon had their inheritance within their inheritance.

and to the valley of Jiphthahel toward the north of Beth-Emek and Neiel and went on to Cabul on the north, 28 and Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even to greater Sidon; 29 and then the border turned toward Ramah and to the strong city of Tyre; and the border turned to Hosah; and its end was at the sea from the coast to Achzib; 30 it included Ummah also and Aphek and Rehob; twenty-two cities with their villages.

31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

10 And the third lot came out for the children of Zebulun according to their families; and the border of their inheritance was to Sarid; 11 and their border went up toward the Sea and Maralah, and extended to Dabbasheth and went on to the river that is before Jokneam, 12 and turned from Sarid on the east toward sunrise to the border of KislothTabor, and then went on to Daberath and went up to Japhia. 13 And from there it continued along on the east to Gittah-Hepher, to Ittahkazin, and went on to Remmon-Methoar to Neah; 14 and the border circled around it on the north to Hannathon; and its end was in the valley of Jiphthahel; 15 and it included Kattath, and Nahallal and Shimron and Idalah and Bethlehem; twelve cities with their villages.

32 The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according to their families. 33 And their border was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim and Adami, Nekeb and Jabneel, to Lakum; and its end was at the Jordan; 34 then the border turned to the west to AznothTabor, and went on from there to Hukkok, and extended to Zebulun on the south and extended to Asher on the west and to Judah on the Jordan toward sunrise. 35 And the fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer and Hammath, Rakkath, and Kinnereth, 36 and Adamah and Ramah and Hazor 37 and Kedesh and Edrei and En-Hazor 38 and Iron and Migdalel, Horem and Beth-Anath and Beth-Shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.

39 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

16 This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

40 And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. 41 And the border of their inheritance included Zorah and Eshtaol and Ir-Shemesh 42 and Shaalabbin and Ajalon and Jethlah 43 and Elon and Thimnathah and Ekron 44 and Eltekeh and Gibbethon and Baalath 45 and Jehud and Bene-Berak and Gath-Rimmon 46 and Mejarkon and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.

17 And the fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. 18 And their border was toward Jezreel, and included Kesulloth and Shunem 19 and Haphraim and Shihon and Anaharath 20 and Rabbith and Kishion and Abez 21 and Remeth and Engannim and Enhaddah and Beth-Pazzez; 22 and the border extended to Tabor and Shahazimah and Beth-Shemesh; and the end of their border was at the Jordan; sixteen cities with their villages.

47 And the border of the children of Dan encompassed too little for them; therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it and struck it with the edge of the sword and possessed it and lived in it, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.

24 And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. 25 And their border was at Helkath and Hali and Beten and Achshaph, 26 and Alammelech and Amad and Misheal, and it extended to Carmel on the west and to Shihor-Libnath; 27 and turned toward the sunrise to Beth-Dagon and extended to Zebulun

48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

49 When they had finished apportioning the land for an inheritance by their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua

the tribe of Judah. See Gen 49:7. 19:10-16 Zebulun was in Galilee, west of the sea. 19:17-23 Issachar was southeast of Zebulun. 19:24-31 Asher was along the Mediterranean coast, north of Mt Carmel.

19:32-39 Naphtali was east of Asher, north of Issachar. 19:40-48 Dan was west of Ephraim and extended to the coast of the Mediterranean. 19:47 Leshem was in the far north of the land, near Mt Hermon – Jud 18:27-31.

287 JOSHUA 21:9

the son of Nun among them. 50 In accordance with the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnath-Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built the city and lived in it.

Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities set apart for all the children of Israel and for the foreigners living among them, so that whoever kills a person unintentionally might flee there, and remain until he stands before the congregation, and not die at the hand of the avenger of blood.

51 These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the leaders of the tribes of the fathers of the children of Israel, apportioned as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they finished apportioning the country.

Then the heads of the Levite fathers’ families approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the tribes of the fathers of the children of Israel, 2 and spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The LORD gave orders through Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle.”

Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Set apart for yourselves cities of refuge, about which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 so that a man who kills another person, striking him unintentionally, unwittingly, may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

3 And in accordance with the command of the LORD, the children of Israel gave these cities and their pasture lands to the Levites, from their inheritance:

4 “And when the one who flees to one of those cities stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall let him come to them inside the city and give him a place to stay, so that he can live among them. 5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not hand the one who killed the other over to them, because he struck his neighbour unwittingly, and did not hate him previously. 6 And he is to live in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest who will be in those days. Afterwards the man who killed the other shall return to his own city and to his own house, to the city that he fled from.”

4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites; and the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and from the tribe of Simeon and from the tribe of Benjamin. 5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim and from the tribe of Dan and from the half tribe of Manasseh.

6 And the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar and from the tribe of Asher and from the tribe of Naphtali and from the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7 The children of Merari by their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben and from the tribe of Gad and from the tribe of Zebulun.

7 And they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah. 8 And on the other side of the Jordan near Jericho on the east, from the tribe of Reuben, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of

8 And the children of Israel gave these cities with their pasture lands to the Levites by lot, just as the LORD commanded through Moses.

9 And from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon they

19:50 14:13,14; 24:30. 19:51 16:1-9. The land was apportioned as God saw fit. Some tribes were given more land than the others and some areas were more fruitful than others. But all received something and there was a suitable place for each tribe, family and individual. Reward for past behavior entered into the allotment for each though everything given was of God’s grace, since no one fully deserved anything. It seems clear that the prophetic blessings pronounced by Jacob in Genesis chapter 49 and by Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 33 were in line with what each tribe received. 20:1-9 See note on cities of refuge at Num 35:9-32. 20:4-5 In addition to the regulations given to Moses, there are here laid down the

responsibilities of the city elders. A person who fled to a city of refuge had to respect their position, and the elders should be people of discernment who upheld justice. Trials were not to be held in secret but before the assembly. 21:1-42 Num 35:1-8; 1 Chron 6:54-81. 21:2 “Cities” – they did not possess the towns but lived with the other people there. 21:3 “From their inheritance” – it was the privilege and duty of the people of Israel to provide for the servants of God who served in the tabernacle and temple. So is it now – 1 Cor 9:7-14. 21:4-7 The three families of the Levites sprang from the three sons of Levi (Ex 6:16; Num 3:17). 21:9-40 All the tribes, not just one or two,

JOSHUA 21:10 288

gave these cities which are here mentioned by name, 10 which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, possessed; for theirs was the first lot.

lands, to be a city of refuge for anyone who killed another person, and Beeshterah with its pasture lands; two cities; 28 and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with its pasture lands, Dabareh with its pasture lands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasture lands, Engannim with its pasture lands; four cities; 30 and from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 31 Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; four cities; 32 and from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands to be a city of refuge for anyone who killed another person, and Hammoth-Dor with its pasture lands and Kartan with its pasture lands; three cities.

11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its surrounding pasture lands. 12 But the fields of the city and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 So they gave Hebron with its pasture lands to the children of Aaron the priest to be a city of refuge for anyone who killed another person ; and Libnah with its pasture lands 14 and Jattir with its pasture lands and Eshtemoa with its pasture lands 15 and Holon with its pasture lands and Debir with its pasture lands 16 and Ain with its pasture lands and Juttah with its pasture lands and Beth-Shemesh with its pasture lands; nine cities from those two tribes; 17 and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, 18 Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands; four cities.

33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities, with their suburbs.

34 And they gave to the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands and Kartah with its pasture lands, 35 Dimnah with its pasture lands, Nahalal with its pasture lands; four cities; 36 and from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, and Jahazah with its pasture lands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands; four cities; 38 and from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands to be a city of refuge for anyone who killed another person, and Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 39 Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jazer with its pasture lands; four cities in all.

19 The cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities in all, with their pasture lands.

20 And as for the families of the children of Kohath, the rest of the Levites of the children of Kohath, by their lot they had the cities from the tribe of Ephraim.

21 For they gave them Shechem with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim to be a city of refuge for anyone who killed another person ; and Gezer with its pasture lands 22 and Kibzaim with its pasture lands and Beth-Horon with its pasture lands; four cities; 23 and from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands, 24 Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath-Rimmon with its pasture lands; four cities; 25 and from the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its pasture lands and Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands; two cities.

40 So all the cities by their lot for the children of Merari by their families, which were left of the families of the Levites, were twelve cities.

41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their suburbs. 42 Each of these cities was with its surrounding pasture lands; it was the same for all these cities.

43 And the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers; and they took possession of it, and lived in it. 44 And the LORD gave them rest on all sides, in accordance with all that he swore to their fathers; and not a man of all their enemies stood before them. The LORD delivered all their enemies into their hands. 45 No good thing that the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

26 All the cities with their pasture lands for the families of the children of Kohath who were left were ten.

27 And they gave to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture

had the responsibility of providing for the servants of God. 21:41 The cities for the Levites were scattered throughout the nation. No tribe was left out. The Levites had to be in touch with the people as a whole and always in a position to serve them. This would have been a unifying factor in the social and religious life of Israel. 21:43 Gen 15:18-21; 17:8; 28:13.

21:44 “Rest” – 1:13. 21:45 23:14. 1 Kings 8:56; Neh 9:8. God always fulfills His word – Num 11:23; 23:19; Ps 119:140; 145:13; Isa 45:19; Matt 5:18; Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18. Verses 43-45 do not deny the measure in which Israel failed to enter fully into their inheritance. God is faithful, but sometimes the unfaithfulness and disobedience of God’s people rob

289 JOSHUA 22:19

Then Joshua called the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. 3 You have not left your brethren these many days until today, but have been careful to fulfil the responsibility of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as he promised them. Therefore return now and go to your homes and to the land of your possession, which the LORD’s servant Moses gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 But be very careful to keep the command and the law, which the LORD’s servant Moses commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar near the Jordan, in appearance a great altar.

11 And the children of Israel heard it said, “See, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the border of the land of Canaan, in the vicinity of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the children of Israel.”

12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go out to war against them.

13 And the children of Israel sent men to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead. They were Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and ten leaders with him, a leader from each chief household throughout all the tribes of Israel. Each one was the head of the household of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away. And they went to their homes. 7 Now to one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given territory in Bashan; but to the other half of it Joshua gave territory among their brethren on the western side of the Jordan. And so when Joshua sent them away to their homes, he blessed them, 8 and he spoke to them, saying, “Return to your homes with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver and with gold and with bronze and with iron and with a great quantity of clothing. Share the plunder from your enemies with your brethren.”

15 And they came to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 16 “This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says, What is this unfaithful deed that you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for yourselves to rebel this day against the LORD? 17 Was the sin at Peor too little for us? We are not cleansed from that until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD. 18 And must you turn away this day from following the LORD? And since you are rebelling today against the LORD, it will come about that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

9 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned home, leaving the children of Israel from Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the region of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had taken in accordance with the word of the LORD through Moses.

19 “If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the LORD’s possession, where the LORD’s tabernacle is

10 And when they came to the vicinity of the Jordan, in the land of Canaan, the children of

them of the full reception or enjoyment of what God has given. 22:1-4 Num 32:20-22; Deut 3:18-20. 22:5 Deut 10:12,13. 22:7 17:1-3. 22:8 “Riches” – gained from the captured land and cities of Canaan.

form opinions without real evidence. 22:11,12 God commanded the people not to give offerings on any altar except the one He chose – Lev 17:8,9; Deut 12:5-13. The nine and one half tribes in Canaan thought that the two and one half tribes east of the Jordan river were planning to break this command and set up a rival altar. The unity of the nation was in danger. 22:13,14 Fortunately they were not as hasty in going to war as they were in misunderstanding and condemning. Cooler heads prevailed and the matter was thoroughly investigated. 22:15-20 These ambassadors expressed the reason for the concern Israel felt. Rebellion would bring God’s anger on the whole nation (v 18). 22:17 “Peor” – note at Num 25:1-9.

“Brethren” – those left behind in the territories east of the Jordan (Lev 17:8-9; Deut 12:5-13). 22:10-34 This records a misunderstanding that almost had disastrous consequences (v 12). The misunderstanding was the result of a hasty conclusion about an ambiguous action. Fortunately the Israelites sent delegates to learn the facts, and trouble was averted. We should always be careful not to leap to conclusions about things we hear about others, and not to

JOSHUA 22:20 290

staying, and take possession of land among us. But do not rebel against the LORD, or against us, by building an altar for yourselves in addition to the altar of the LORD our God. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit an unfaithful deed in regard to the accursed thing? And anger fell on all the congregation of Israel. And that man did not perish alone in his sin.”

altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.

29 “God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, in addition to the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.”

21 Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the thousands of Israel, 22 “The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knows, and Israel should know. Do not save us this day if it is in rebellion or in unfaithfulness against the LORD 23 that we have built an altar for ourselves to turn from following the LORD, or if we built it to offer burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer peace offerings on it. May the LORD himself demand an account, 24 if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In the future your children might speak to our children, saying, ‘What have you to do with the LORD God of Israel? 25 For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the LORD.’ So your children may cause our children to stop fearing the LORD.

30 And when Phinehas the priest, and the leaders of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we see that the LORD is among us, because you have not acted unfaithfully against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.”

32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders left the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the land of Gilead, and returned to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel praised God and spoke no more of going up against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad lived.

26 “Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build an altar for ourselves, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but that it may be a witness between us and you, and our generations after us, that we will serve the LORD before him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, so that in the future your children may not say to our children, ‘You have no part in the LORD.’

34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar “Witness.” “For”, they said, “it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.”

And it came about a long time after the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, that Joshua became old and advanced in age. 2 And Joshua called for all Israel and for their elders and for their heads and

28 “Therefore we said that it shall come about, if they say this to us or to our future generations, that we may say in response, See this copy of the

22:20 They well remembered the lesson God taught through Achan’s sin. See 7:1-26. 22:22 The repetition of these names of God suggests strong emphasis. 22:23-29 Here is an emphatic denial of wrong motives and a clear explanation of their actions. The tribes of Israel were independent to some extent but were united by their worship of Jehovah which was carried on at one central place (at that time this place was Shiloh). The two and one half tribes were building an altar, not for sacrifice (v 26), but as a witness to the unity of God’s people (v 27). What they were accused of was the exact opposite of the truth. So easily the inner thoughts and motives of fellow believers can be misunderstood because of some unexplained action. Believers now should have no less burden than the Israelites

to maintain their unity in the Lord in the bonds of peace (Eph 4:3-6,13; Phil 4:2; Col 3:11).

“Peace offerings” – Lev 3:1. 22:31 “Delivered” – by their clear explanation of their actions they had averted an unjust and unreasonable war between the tribes, which would surely have brought the anger of God on the whole nation. 22:33 The result of reconciliation and unity. Compare Ps 133. 22:34 The witness was that the LORD (Jehovah), the God who chose Israel and made a covenant with them, was the only God in existence. See 20:1-6; Deut 4:35; Isa 43:10-12; 44:6; 45:21,2. 23:1 “Rest” – 1:13. 23:2 Israel’s leader, after a lifetime of faithful service, desired to give parting words of wisdom and counsel.

291 JOSHUA 24:2

for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, “I am old and advanced in age; 3 and you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; for the LORD your God is the one who has fought for you. 4 See, I have apportioned to you by lot these nations that remain, with all the nations that I have cut off, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan to the great sea on the west. 5 And the LORD your God will expel them from before you, and drive them out of your sight; and you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God has promised to you.

LORD your God will no longer drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps to you and whips on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 14 And, see, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you all know in your hearts and in your souls that not one of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed. All have been fulfilled for you, and not one word of it has failed. 15 Therefore this is how it will be: just as all the good things which the LORD your God promised you have come on you, so the LORD will bring on you every bad thing until he has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. 16 When you break the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land which he has given to you.”

6 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you turn not aside from it to the right hand or to the left, 7 so that you do not mingle with these nations, these that remain among you, or mention the name of their gods or make oaths by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

9 “For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is the one who fights for you, as he has promised you. 11 Therefore be careful about yourselves. See that you love the LORD your God.

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘In olden times your fathers, Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor, lived on the other side of the Euphrates river; and they served other gods.

12 “For if you ever turn back and cling to the survivors of these nations, these that remain among you, and intermarry with them and go in to them and they to you, 13 know for a certainty that the

23:3 10:14,42; Ps 44:3. 23:4,5 Joshua calls to mind all that God had already given to His people. Every believer should always keep in remembrance the grace of God shown toward them in the past, and so have confidence for the future. The promise in v 5 refers to those enemies that still remained in the land (13:1,13; 16:10; 17:12,13). “Great sea” – Mediterranean. 23:6 1:7. Joshua had learned by experience the importance and blessedness of this. The promise of v 5 was based on this condition. If they did not do this, God would not do that. 23:7 “Mingle” – Ex 34:15,16; Deut 7:1-4; 1 Cor 15:33; 2 Cor 6:14-18. Fellowship with evil people who do not want to walk in God’s ways will almost surely corrupt God’s people.

by all the forces of evil (Ps 18:32-39; Rom 8:31; 1 Cor 15:57; 2 Cor 2:14; Phil 4:13; 1 John 4:4). 23:11 “Love” – Deut 6:5; 11:1; Matt 22:36-40; John 14:15,21,23. Love for God would be the motive power that would cause them to obey God’s commandments, and keep them from the evils of the world. 23:12 Deut 7:3-4. Marriage is forbidden between God’s special people and those who are not. This is a principle clearly taught in the New Testament also (2 Cor 6:14-15). 23:13 Ex 23:33; 34:12; 7:16. God’s promises were based on certain conditions. Obedience would bring great blessing, disobedience would bring disaster. 23:14 21:45. 23:15,16 Lev 26:14-33; Deut 28:15-63. These verses show very clearly that these promises God made to them were based on conditions.

“Bow down to them” – Ex 20:1-5; 23:13; Ps 16:4. God’s people must maintain their separation from the evils and godless standards of the world around them, and from the many gods of the world. 23:8 “Cling” – Deut 10:20; 11:22; 13:4; 30:20. 23:10 Lev 26:8; Deut 32:30. The presence of the Lord with even one of His people provides greater power than is possessed

“Anger” – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. 24:1 This chapter records a public renewal of the covenant God made with Israel. 24:2 “Thus says the LORD God” – from here to v 14 Joshua speaks the very words God had given him to say.

“Fathers” – Gen 11:27-33.

JOSHUA 24:3 292

3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and led him through the whole land of Canaan, and increased the number of his offspring and gave him Isaac. 4 And I gave Jacob and Esau to Isaac; and I gave Mount Seir to Esau to possess. But Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

your bow. 13 And I have given you a land for which you did not labour and cities which you did not build, and you live in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

14 “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, today choose whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

5 “‘And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did among them; and afterwards I brought you, 6 and I brought your fathers out of Egypt; and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried out to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea over them and covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt; and you lived in the desert for a long time.

16 And the people answered and said, “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods. 17 For the LORD our God is the one who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us all along the way where we travelled and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we too will serve the LORD; for he is our God.”

8 “‘And I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan. And they fought with you; and I gave them into your hands, so that you might possess their land. And I destroyed them from before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent men and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam. Therefore he had to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hands.

19 And Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the LORD, for he is a holy God, he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you harm and make an end of you, after the good he has done you.”

11 “‘And you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Girgashites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. And I delivered them into your hands. 12 And I sent hornets before you, which drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not with your sword or with

21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”

22 And Joshua said to the people, “You are

the choice was to be made immediately “today.” A decision like this is not to be put off into the indefinite future. To put it off is to reveal that there is no intention of serving the true God. As for himself Joshua’s choice had already been made and he publicly testifies to it.

24:4 Gen 25:25-26; 46:6-7; Deut 2:15. 24:5 Ex 4:14-16; 7:8-10:29; 12:29,51. 24:6 Ex 14:1-9. “Horsemen” – or it could be translated “charioteers.” 24:7 Ex 14:10-31. “Long time” – 40 years. 24:8 Num 21:21-35. 24:9 Num 21:1-6. 24:10 Numbers chapters 23,24. 24:11 6:1-27. 24:12 “Hornets” – Ex 23:28; Deut 7:20. “Bow” – 10:14,42; Ps 44:3,6,7. 24:13 Deut 6:10-12. The land was God’s gift to them. It was all of grace. Just as the believer’s possessions in Christ are all of grace (Eph 1:3-6). 24:14 Now Joshua himself speaks to Israel. “Fear” – notes at Gen 20:11; Ps 34:1114; 111:10; Prov 1:7. “Serve him. . .in truth” – faithfully – an essential quality for the people of God (1 Sam 12:24).

“Household” – he was not one to let his family members serve other gods. Doubtless he spoke in faith. Compare 6:25; Acts 16:31; Eph 6:4; 1 Tim 3:4,5; Heb 11:7. 24:16-18 The people knew much of God’s Word and doings; they professed strongly their intention to be faithful to Him. Yet false gods were in their midst (v 23), and in heart they were a rebellious (v 19) people. In every generation some who profess to be God’s people are ignorant of the power of their sinful natures and easily think and say they will serve God (Ex 19:8; Jer 17:9; etc). 24:19 “Cannot” – Joshua knew them better than they knew themselves. And the whole book of Judges (not to speak of the rest of the Bible) shows how right he was in this.

“Put away” – it seems from this that, at least in heart, some of the people were worshipping false gods even then (v 23). 24:15 “Choose” – he calls them to an open, deliberate choice. See 1 Kings 18:21. And

“Holy” – note at Lev 20:7. “Jealous” –

293 JOSHUA 24:33

witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve him.”

29 And it came about after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. 31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and who knew all the deeds of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.

And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 “Now therefore”, he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you and turn your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”

24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God, and obey his voice.”

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and set before them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.

32 And in Shechem they buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in a plot of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. And it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

27 And Joshua said to all the people, “See, this stone will be a witness to us; for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke to us; so it will be a witness to you, that you should not deny your God.”

33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that belonged to Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.

28 So Joshua let the people depart, each one to his inheritance.

Ex 20:5,6.

and faithfulness.

“Not forgive” – this should be understood in the light of the next verse and verses like Lev 26:14-45. Of course God always forgives the individual who comes to Him in repentance and faith (Ex 34:6,7; Ps 130:4; Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; Eph 1:7). 24:23 Verse 14. 24:24 Three times they insisted on this. But the people did not keep their word very long (Jud 2:6-13). 24:25-27 Joshua made this occasion as solemn as possible to impress on the minds of the people the importance of obedience

“Book of the law of God” – God’s revelation, instructions and commandments contained in the writings of Moses. 24:31 Jud 2:6-13. 24:32 “Bones” – Gen 50:24,25; Ex 13:19. The burial of Joseph’s bones in Shechem was a fitting reminder of the faithfulness of God to the nation from the time of Jacob to their possessing the promised land.

“Jacob bought” – Gen 33:19. 24:33 Eleazar was the high priest who served with Moses and Joshua – Num 20:28; Josh 14:1; 17:4; 21:1.

JUDGES

Title:

The Hebrew word here translated “Judges” also means leaders or defenders. In this book the “judges” God raised up did more than try to administer justice; they led the people and delivered them from their enemies.

Author:

According to ancient Jewish tradition Samuel wrote this book, but there is no definite proof either for or against this. The author left no clues in the text itself to indicate who wrote it. The writers of the Bible were not concerned with promoting themselves. They would all have agreed with the psalmist who said “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory” (Ps 115:1). They wrote by the inspiration of the one true God (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21), and their concern was to record exactly what God inspired them to record. In a very real sense the author of every book of the Bible was God Himself using human instruments. This does not mean that the writers of the Bible were like robots or inanimate word processors. God took the writers as they were, with their faults and failings, with their human intellects and emotions and wills, and worked in them and through them to bring His Word into the world, just as He wanted it to be. God is great enough and wise enough to be able to do this, and He did do it. Men wrote the Bible, but what they wrote came from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4).

Date:

Probably about 1000 BC.

Themes:

This book contains events in the history of Israel from the death of Joshua to the time of Samuel. It reveals what any people can become when they do what they please rather than what God pleases. It reveals also God’s compassion and help for the people even when they were guilty of detestable sins. It speaks too of God’s hatred of sin and how He punished it. From another viewpoint it is the story of God’s deliverance of an unworthy people and the great heroes of the faith He used to do this. Some key verses are 2:10-23; 21:25.

Contents :

Taking the remaining areas of Canaan ............................................................ 1:1 - 2:5 A new generation falls into evil ways .............................................................. 2:6-20 God allows some Canaanites to survive .......................................................... 2:21 - 3:6 Othniel ....................................................................................................... 3:7-11 Ehud .......................................................................................................... 3:12-30 Shamgar ..................................................................................................... 3:30 Deborah and Barak ...................................................................................... 4:1-24 Deborah’s song ............................................................................................ 5:1-31 Gideon ........................................................................................................ 6:1 - 8:35

Gideon wants a sign............................................................................... 6:11-23 Gideon wants a second sign .................................................................... 6:36-40 Gideon defeats the Midianites ................................................................. 7:1 - 8:21 Gideon makes an idol ............................................................................. 8:22-27 Gideon’s death ...................................................................................... 8:28-35 A tyrant called Abimelech .............................................................................. 9:1-57

Parable of the thorn bush ....................................................................... 9:8-15 God punishes Abimelech ......................................................................... 9:52-57 Tola ........................................................................................................... 10:1,2 Jair ........................................................................................................... 10:3-5

295 JUDGES

Israel’s repeated sin, their repentance,

and God’s compassion ............................................................................ 10:6-18 Jephthah .................................................................................................... 11:1 - 12:7

Jephthah’s daughter, his foolish vow ....................................................... 11:34-46 Jephthah and the men of Ephraim ........................................................... 12:1-7 Ibzen, Elon, and Abdon ................................................................................ 12:8-15 Israel oppressed by the Philistines ................................................................. 13:1 Samson....................................................................................................... 13:2 - 16:31

His birth ............................................................................................... 13:2-25 His marriage to a Philistine girl ................................................................. 14:1-20 Samson kills a lion .................................................................................. 14:5,6 His riddle .............................................................................................. 14:12-20 He burns Philistine harvest fields ............................................................. 15:1-5 He kills 1000 with jawbone of donkey ....................................................... 15:14-20 Samson and Delilah ................................................................................ 16:1-21 Samson brings down the temple of Dagon ................................................ 16:23-31 Micah’s idol, his priest, people from Dan .......................................................... 17:1 - 18:31 The horrible incident at Gibeah ...................................................................... 19:1-30 The destruction of Benjamin .......................................................................... 20:1-48 How the remaining men of Benjamin got wives ................................................. 21:1-25

JUDGES 1:1 296

Now after the death of Joshua this took place: the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, “Who should first go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”

the name of Hebron was Kirjath-Arba), and they killed Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 And from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir (now previously the name of Debir was Kirjath-Sepher). 12 And Caleb said, “The one who attacks Kirjath-Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah in marriage.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; and he gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage. 14 And it happened when she came to him that she moved him to ask her father for a field. And she got down from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”

2 And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up. See, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

3 And Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into my allotment to fight against the Canaanites; and likewise I will go with you into your allotment.” So Simeon went with him.

4 And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and in Bezek they killed ten thousand of them. 5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek and fought against him, and killed the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 But Adonibezek fled, and they pursued him, caught him and cut off his thumbs and his large toes.

15 And she said to him, “Give me a blessing; for you have given me an area in the south. Give me springs of water also.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

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 into the wilderness of Judah, which lies to the south of Arad. And they went and lived among the people.

7 And Adonibezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their large toes cut off gathered their food under my table. God has repaid me in accordance with what I have done.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother and they killed the Canaanites who lived in Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. 18 Also Judah took Gaza with its territory and Askelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory.

8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem and had taken it and struck it with the edge of the sword and had set the city on fire.

9 And afterwards the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the mountains and in the south and in the lowlands. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now previously

19 And the LORD was with Judah, and Judah drove out the inhabitants of the mountains, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the

1:1 “Joshua” – Josh 24:29. The date of his death is probably about 1390 B.C.

1:10 “Hebron” – Josh 14:15. Hebron was in the hill country about 40 kilometers south of Jerusalem. 1:11 “Debir” – a town near Hebron. 1:12 “Caleb” – Num 14:6-9,30; Josh 14:6-15. 1:13 “Othniel” – 3:7-11. 1:16 “Father-in-law” – Ex 2:16-21. “Kenite” – the Kenites were a tribe descended from Midian, a son of Abraham by his second wife Keturah.

“Canaanites” – see Gen 10:15-19. In Joshua’s day Israel had occupied much of the land of Canaan, but there were still areas where the Canaanites opposed them (Josh 13:1-5; 23:4,5). The question the Israelites asked reveals their belief that God had given them all the land and that He would enable them to take it. 1:3 “Judah said to his brother Simeon” – here obviously means the descendants of Judah said to the descendants of Simeon. Of course, both Judah and Simeon had died long before this. The territory Joshua allotted to the tribe of Simeon was within the territory allotted to Judah (Josh 19:1,9). So these two tribes joined forces to occupy their land. 1:4 “Perizzites” – Gen 10:18; 15:20; 34:30; Ex 3:17. 1:6,7 “Adonibezek” – compare Ex 21:2325; Lev 24:19,20. See Esther 7:10. “Table” – he had treated his captured enemies like dogs. 1:8 “Jerusalem” – Israel did not occupy the city at that time (v 21). See 2 Sam 5:6-9. 1:9 “Mountains” – south of Jerusalem. “The south” – the Negev, the desert area in the southern part of Canaan (v 17).

“City of palm trees” – Jericho. 1:17 Hormah means “destruction.” 1:18 The Philistines lived in the Mediterranean coastal area west of Judah. Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron were three of their five principal cities, the other two being Ashdod and Gath. Judah took the three cities mentioned here but later the Philistines regained control of them (14:19; 16:21; 1 Sam 6:17; 7:14). 1:19 “Could not” – Josh 15:63; 17:12. They were unable only because they had disobeyed God and so He did not enable them to have complete victory (2:1-3, 20-23; Josh 23:12,13). “Iron” – Josh 17:16. Iron chariots posed no problem to God, but He permitted them to be a problem to Judah. The people of Israel did not use iron chariots themselves,

297 JUDGES 2:4

lowlands, because they had chariots of iron. 20 And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said; and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there. 21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; but the Jebusites live among the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

forced labour. 31 Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob; 32 but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. 33 Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-Anath, but they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. However the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh and of Beth-Anath became forced labour for them. 34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, and would not let them come down into the lowlands. 35 For the Amorites were determined to live in Mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet the hand of the house of Joseph grew powerful, so that the Amorites became forced labour. 36 And the boundary of the Amorites was from the ascent to Akrabbim, from the rock, and continued upwards.

22 Likewise the house of Joseph went up against Bethel; and the LORD was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel (now previously the name of that city was Luz). 24 And the spies saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, “Please show us a way into the city, and we will show you mercy.” 25 And when he showed them a way into the city, they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and his whole family go. 26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.

27 And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, or Taanach and its towns, or the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. 28 But it happened when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labour, but did not completely drive them out. 29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. 30 Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them and became

And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt, and led you to the land which I swore to your fathers. And I said, I will never break my covenant with you; 2 and you must make no treaty with the inhabitants of this land. You must throw down their altars. But you have not obeyed my voice. Why have you acted like this? 3 Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they will be like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”

4 And it came about, when the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of

“I swore to” (Gen 17:8); “my covenant” (Deut 7:9).

it seems, until the time of David’s sons. 1:20 “Caleb” – v 12. “Anak” – Num 13:22. 1:21 Even after the victory of Judah (v 8), Benjamin failed to hold Jerusalem which was in the territory allotted to them (Josh 18:21-28). “Jebusites” – Gen 10:15-20; 15:16-21. 1:22 “Joseph” – the descendants of Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Half of the tribe of Manasseh had territory east of the Jordan river (Josh 13:8). 1:26 “Hittites” – then a powerful people to the north of Israel. 1:27 “Did not drive out” – this refrain is repeated in vs 29, 30, 31, 33. Israel’s disobedience to God cost them a great deal of trouble and large areas of land. On the importance of obedience see Josh 1:7,8. 1:28 “Forced labor” – vs 30,33,35; Josh 17:13; 1 Kings 5:13; 9:20-22. Notes on slavery at Ex 21:2; Eph 6:5. God commanded Israel to exterminate these depraved peoples living in Canaan, not to make forced laborers of them (Deut 7:1,2,16). 1:34 “Amorites” – Gen 10:15-20; 15:16-21. 2:1 “Angel of the LORD” – note at Gen 16:7. Here He speaks as Jehovah God Himself – “I brought you up out of Egypt” (Ex 20:1,2);

“Gilgal” – the headquarters of the armies of Israel under Joshua (Josh 4:19-22; 5:10; 9:6; 10:6,15,43; 14:6). It was in the low-lying plain of the Jordan river. 2:2 “This land” – Ex 23:22; 34:12; Deut 7:2. Compare 2 Cor 6:14-18; Jam 4:4. “Altars” – Ex 23:24; 34:13; Deut 7:5. The worship of the true God must not be mixed with the worship of the false gods of Canaan. See 1 Kings 18:21; etc.

“Not obeyed” – 1:27-36. Israel’s determination to drive out all the Canaanites should have been greater than the determination of the Canaanites to stay (1:27). By full submission to God in faith they could have cleared out their enemies from the whole land. See note at Josh 1:17. 2:3 “From before you” – Josh 23:12,13. God’s promise to expel the Canaanites was based on the condition that Israel obey Him.

“Snare” – thorns may speak of pains and troubles that would come from the Canaanites, snares may speak of the hidden dangers of their false worship (Ex 23:33; 34:12; Num 33:55; Deut 7:16). 2:4,5 Their tears did not change God’s mind.

JUDGES 2:5 298

Israel, that the people raised their voice and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the LORD.

provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth. 14 And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel and he delivered them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them to make things go wrong, just as the LORD had said and just as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.

6 And when Joshua let the people go, each one of the children of Israel went to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works that the LORD did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the LORD’s servant, died, being a hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the northern side of the hill Gaash.

16 However, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 But still they would not listen to their judges, but prostituted themselves to other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not do so. 18 And when the LORD raised up judges for them, then the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to compassion because of their groanings on account of those who oppressed them and troubled them.

10 And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, which did not know the LORD, or even the deeds which he had done for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals, 12 and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, some of the gods of the people who were around them, and bowed down to them and

The Hebrew word Bochim means “weepers.” 2:6-9 These verses take the story back to Josh 24:28-31. They serve to introduce what follows. 2:10 “Gathered to their ancestors” – note at Gen 25:8.

2:14 Their punishment fit their crime. In disobedience they let their enemies remain in the land and started worshiping their gods, so God handed them over to those same enemies (6:1; 13:1). Compare Rom 1:24,26,28; 1 Tim 1:20. See Gal 6:7. 2:15 What chance of victory can there be, either in the physical or spiritual realm, if the hand of God is against His people? There is only one thing that will bring the hand of God against them – sin; and only one way to cause the hand of God to work for them again – repentance and faith (2 Chron 7:14; Ps 32:4,5; Isa 55:7). 2:16-19 This is the brief story of the book of Judges and, for that matter, in some measure, the story of the whole Old Testament. And though we live in other places, other times than Israel, we would make a big mistake if we thought we were superior to them by nature. The Bible teaches the truth that all are sinners, by nature all are rebellious against the true God, all are disobedient to His Word. God did not give us the history of Israel that we could learn how bad they were, but that we might realize to some extent what we are and what He is and what He wants us to be.

“The LORD” – they were called the people of God but did not know God. Compare 1 Sam 2:12; 3:7. “For Israel” – as is often the case the previous generation had failed in their duty to teach their children the things of God – Deut 4:9,10; 6:6,7; 11:19. Compare Ps 78:4. 2:11 “Did evil” – this will follow from the ignorance revealed in v 10 as surely as night follows day. The knowledge of God acts as some restraint on men. If this restraint is removed evil will sprout, blossom, and flourish. Compare Rom 1:28-31; Eph 4:18,19.

“Baals” – Baal means “lord”, or “owner.” In the Old Testament the word is used of a certain false god more than 70 times. The Canaanites worshiped him under several different forms, so the plural is used here. He was sometimes worshiped as the storm god, or as the god of fertility. Sometimes he was worshiped with shameful sexual rites involving temple prostitutes. Sometimes his worshipers offered children in the fire to him (Jer 19:5). He was sometimes represented as standing on a bull. 2:12 “Gods” – they broke the very first of God’s commandments (Ex 20:2,3; Deut 6:4,5), and all other evils flowed from that. “Anger” – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. 2:13 “Ashtoreth” – a goddess supposed to be the wife of Baal. Note at 1 Kings 11:5.

In this book it is said that God raised up twelve judges. Othniel was the first and Samson the last named. The last judge and the greatest was Samuel, whose story is in the book of 1 Samuel. The judges were from different tribes (Othniel – Judah; Ehud – Benjamin; Shamgar – unknown; Deborah – unknown, but probably Ephraim; Gideon – Manasseh; Tola – Issachar; Jair – Manasseh; Jephthah – Manasseh; Ibzan – either Judah or Zebulun; Elon – Zebulun;

299 JUDGES 3:9

19 And it came about when the judge was dead, that they went back and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They did not stop their practices or their stubborn ways.

nothing about it: 3 five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites and Sidonians and Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal-Hermon to the entrance to Hamath. 4 And they were to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of the LORD which he commanded their fathers through Moses.

20 And the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have broken my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not listened to my voice, 21 from now on I will not drive out from before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.” 23 Therefore the LORD left those nations, not driving them out speedily; and he did not deliver them into the hands of Joshua.

5 And the children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites and Perizzites and Hivites and Jebusites; 6 and they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Israel and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim for eight years. 9 And when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them, Othniel the son of

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them, as many in Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan, 2 so that the generations of the children of Israel might learn; that is, to teach war to those who previously knew

Abdon – Ephraim; Samson – Dan; Samuel – Levi).

they will be a separate holy people, or adopt the customs and habits of false religion and corrupt society. 3:1 “Test” – 2:22. 3:2 “Teach warfare” – compare Ps 18:3440; 144:1. God wanted to prepare them to live in the kind of world they lived in. Israel was a nation in the land God had given them, but all through their history they were surrounded by enemy nations bent on their destruction (see Ps 83:1-8). Warfare is a continual theme of the historical books of the Bible. It was essential for Israel to know how to fight. Now the battles of God’s people are not physical ones but spiritual (Eph 6:10-12. See note at Josh 1:17), and They need to learn how to fight them. 3:3 “Philistines” – note at 1:18. Hermon and Hamath were in the far northern parts of the land. 3:4 Note at 2:22. 3:5,6 Deut 7:1-6; Josh 23:12; 1 Kings 11:1-8; 2 Chron 18:1; 2 Cor 6:14-18. 3:7 “Did evil” – v 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1. “Baals” – 2:11-13. “Asherahs” – Asherah was a goddess (similar to Ashtoreth) worshiped by the Canaanites. They considered her the wife of their chief god (whom they called El). Her worshipers used to carve wooden poles to represent her and placed them at her shrines – 6:26; Ex 34:13; 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chron 15:16; 17:6; 34:3,4; Mic 5:14. 3:8 “Anger” – 2:13,14,20; 6:39; 10:7; Num 15:3; Ps 90:7-11. God’s anger is an important theme of Judges which describes events when “everyone did as he saw fit” (21:25). And what sinful people see fit to do always deserves God’s anger.

The enemies they faced were from all sides of Israel: northeast, southeast, east, south, west, north. In other words, people of Israel in all parts of the country were involved in the testing and teaching of 2:22 and 3:2 (see notes there).

“LORD raised up” (v 16) – this was God’s grace at work toward an unworthy people.

“Judges” – the Hebrew word means either judges or leaders. On the whole it seems that those whom God raised up to deliver Israel performed both of these functions, but with some of the individuals named their leading was more in prominence than their judging.

“Prostituted themselves” (v 17) – notes at Lev 20:5; Jer 2:20; etc.

“Fathers” – v 7. “Compassion” (v 18) – this wonderful quality in God is seen everywhere in the Bible – Ex 2:24,25; 3:7; 22:27; 34:6; 2 Kings 13:23; 2 Chron 36:15; Ps 78:38; 86:15; 103:13,14; Isa 49:13; Jer 12:15; Lam 3:22; Mic 7:19; Matt 9:36; Mark 1:41; Rom 9:15. 2:19 “Corrupted themselves” – in spite of God’s grace and compassion, the people got worse and worse. They did not understand the truth later recorded in Rom 2:4.

“Stubborn” – Ex 32:9; Deut 9:6; 1 Sam 15:23; Acts 7:51. 2:20 “Anger” – notes at Num 25:3; Ps 90:7-11. 2:21 Note at v 3. 2:22 “Test” – notes at Gen 22:1; Ps 66:10,12; etc. Now Christians also are tested by the unbelieving people among whom they live (as well as by Satan without and their own sinful natures within). The test is whether they will keep the ways of the Lord when the vast majority does not, whether

“Mesopotamia” – an area northeast of Israel. 3:9 “Cried out” – another common theme

JUDGES 3:10 300

Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 And the Spirit of the LORD came on him, and he judged Israel and went out to war; and the LORD delivered Cushan Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hands, and he got the upper hand over Cushan Rishathaim. 11 And the land had rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

got up from his seat, 21 and Ehud put out his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and drove it into his belly. 22 And the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, so that he could not draw the sword out of his belly; and dirt came out. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch and shut the doors of the room behind him and locked them.

12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 And Eglon gathered to himself the children of Ammon and Amalek and went and attacked Israel, and took possession of the city of palm trees. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, for eighteen years.

24 When he had gone out, the king’s servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the room were locked, they said, “He must be relieving himself in his summer palace.” 25 And they waited until they were ashamed, but he did not appear opening the doors of the room. So they took a key and opened them, and saw that their lord had fallen down on the floor, dead.

15 But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the children of Israel sent a present through him to Eglon, the king of Moab. 16 But Ehud made a double-edged sword a cubit long, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17 And he brought the present to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when Ehud had finished offering the present, he sent away the people who had carried the present. 19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king”. The king said, “Keep quiet!” And all who stood around him went out from his presence.

26 And Ehud escaped while they were waiting, and went beyond the quarries and escaped to Seirath. 27 And it came about when he arrived that he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hills, with him in front of them.

28 And he said to them, “Follow me! For the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hands.” And they went down after him and captured the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and did not let anyone cross over. 29 And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all tough men and brave fighters, and not a man escaped.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

20 And Ehud came to him. And he was sitting alone in a room of the summer palace. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he

31 And after Ehud Shamgar the son of Anath was judge. He killed six hundred men of the

of this book – v 15; 4:3; 6:6,7; 10:10,12. The sad thing is that they cried out to the Lord only when in trouble, and not for power to live consistent, holy lives.

of Benjamin, the “son of (Jacob’s) right hand” (Gen 35:18), were left-handed (Jud 20:15,16). “Present” – probably the yearly payment demanded by Eglon. 3:20 “Message from God” – God had raised up Ehud (v 15) to deliver His people from Eglon. Ehud means that God’s message to Eglon was a message of God’s vengeance. 3:21 This was not personal vengeance on Ehud’s part, but the working out of God’s justice in the deliverance of His people. 3:27 “Trumpet” – 6:34; 7:18; Lev 23:23; Num 10:1-10. 3:28 “Fords” – 12:5; Josh 2:7 – where the water of the river was shallowest and crossing easiest. 3:30 “Eighty years” – the longest period of peace mentioned in Judges. 3:31 “Shamgar” – nothing more is known of this man except that his times and those of Deborah overlapped – 5:6,7.

“Raised up” – note at 2:16-19. “Othniel” – 1:13. He was of the tribe of Judah. 3:10 “Spirit of the LORD” – 6:34; 11:29; 14:6,19. God gave power to those He raised up, and enabled them to do what He called them to do – as indeed He always will. References to the Spirit at Gen 1:2; notes at John 14:16,17; etc. 3:11 2:18. 3:12 “Did evil again” – 2:19. “Moab” – a country east of Israel. Note at Gen 19:37. 3:13 Ammonites were to the east of Israel. The Amalekites were a nomadic people who generally roamed the deserts south and southeast of Israel.

“City of Palm Trees” – Jericho. 3:15 “Ehud” – what follows reveals Ehud as a very bold, very clever man.

“Six hundred” – a feat of personal strength and daring exceeded only by Samson (15:15), and one of David’s mighty

“Left-handed” – many of the descendants

301 JUDGES 4:16

Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.

However, the journey that you are about to take will not result in your honour. For the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men on foot, and Deborah went up with him.

Then, after Ehud died, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, for Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, who was of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and camped in the plain of Zaanaim, which is near Kedesh.

12 And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the Kishon river.

4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time. 5 And she used to stay under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel would come up to her for judgment. 6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the LORD God of Israel given a command? Go and proceed to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the children of Naphtali and from the children of Zebulun. 7 And I will draw Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude to you at the Kishon river, and I will deliver him into your hands.”

14 And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone out before you?”

So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men behind him. 15 And the LORD routed Sisera, and all his chariots and his whole army, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots and after the army, to Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the whole of Sisera’s army fell by the edge of the sword and not a man was left.

8 And Barak said to her, “If you go with me, then I will go; but if you do not go with me, then I will not go.”

9 And she said, “Certainly I will go with you.

warriors (2 Sam 23:8). 4:1 2:18,19; 3:12. 4:2 “Jabin” – Joshua killed a king of the same name who ruled in the same area (Josh 11:1,10).

level.

“Given a command” – Deborah was a true prophetess and got God’s message and delivered it in God’s name. 4:7 “Draw” – v 13; Prov 21:1. “Kishon” – this river flows through part of the plain of Jezreel (also called Megiddo or Megeddon), west of Mt Tabor. 4:8 It was not enough for Barak that God had told him to go and that God would be with him. Obviously his faith was weak, yet he had true faith. In Hebrews chapter 11 his timid nature and his fears are not mentioned. God will remember the best things about His people and forgive and eventually forget the worst (Heb 6:10; 8:12). But this does not mean that they can follow the worst without penalty. 4:9 “Kedesh” – not to be confused with the Kadesh-Barnea in the south of Israel. 4:11 “Heber” – the Kenites (1:16) had been friends of Israel. Heber became friendly with Israel’s enemies (v 17).

“Hazor” – a city in Galilee, north of the Sea, in the territory of Naphtali. 4:3 “Iron chariots” – 1:19. 4:4 The Hebrew name Deborah means “bee.”

“Prophetess” – Ex 15:20; 2 Kings 22:14; Isa 8:3; Luke 2:36; Acts 21:9. Note at Gen 20:7. Deborah was the only woman among the judges or leaders of Israel.

“Led” – or “judged.” 4:5 “Bethel” – a town about 20 kilometers north of Jerusalem.

“Ephraim” – we are not told that Deborah was of this tribe, but this indicates she may have been. She could have moved to this area from some other place. Compare 10:1. 4:6 “Barak” – his name means “lightning.” In the story which follows he takes second place to Deborah, but is mentioned by name in Hebrews chapter 11 among the great heroes of faith, and she is not (Heb 11:32 – not all the best and greatest of Old Testament saints are listed there by name).

“Hobab” – Num 10:29. 4:13 Verse 7. 4:14 “Before you” – see Josh 5:13-15; 23:3; 2 Sam 5:24. God Himself would lead him into battle. 4:15 “Routed” – 7:21,22; Ex 14:24; Jud 10:10; 1 Sam 7:10; 14:15; 2 Kings 7:6; Ps 18:14.

“Tabor” – a hill steeply rising from the plain not far from the Sea of Galilee. Its peak is about 600 meters above sea

JUDGES 4:17 302

17 However Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the household of Heber the Kenite.

taken for Israel, when the people willingly offered

themselves.

3 “Listen, O you kings! Give ear, O you princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me. Don’t be afraid.” And when he had turned aside to her into the tent, she covered him with a rug.

of Israel. 4 LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out from the field

19 And he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” And she opened a container of milk and gave him a drink, and covered him.

of Edom, the earth trembled

and the heavens dripped, yes, the clouds dripped water. 5 The mountains melted away before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the

20 Again he said to her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and if it so happens that any man comes and asks you, saying, ‘Is there any man here?’ you must say, ‘No.’”

21 Then Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temples and fastened it into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

LORD God of Israel.

6 “In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were deserted,

and the travelers walked through

22 And as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael appeared, coming out to meet him, and she said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” And when he came into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead, with the peg through his temples.

byways. 7 Life in the villages came to a stop, came to a stop in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose a mother in Israel.

23 So on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the children of Israel bore down more and more heavily on Jabin the king of Canaan until they had destroyed Jabin the king of Canaan.

8 “They chose new gods; then war came to the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among

forty thousand in Israel? 9 My heart is with the leaders of Israel who offered themselves willingly

And on that day Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang a song, saying,

among the people. Praise the LORD.

2 “Praise the LORD for vengeance

sung by Deborah and Barak is a superb example of early Hebrew poetry. 5:2 “Willingly offered” – v 9; 1 Chron 29:5; Rom 12:1,2. 5:4,5 These verses refer to the time when God brought Israel through the Sinai desert, around Edom, and into Canaan. Compare Deut 33:2; Ps 68:7-10. 5:6 “Shamgar” – 3:31. “Deserted” – the main roads were unsafe because of the enemy – 4:2,3. 5:7 “I” – in the whole of Israel there was no other leader to rally the people and defeat the enemy. God may use women to do a man’s job when there are no men available or willing to do it. 5:8 “New gods” – 2:13,19. Compare Deut 32:17. “Israel” – the people had compromised with the Canaanites and had no will to resist (3:5,6), so they were totally unprepared to fight. Can it not be said of many Christians now “not a shield of faith, not a sword of the Spirit is seen among them” (Eph 6:14-17) 5:9 “My heart is with” – this is the reason

4:17 Verse 11. Jael means “mountain goat.” 4:18 “Tent” – it seemed to Sisera the perfect place to hide. No one but her husband or father would think of entering her tent uninvited – it would have been altogether against custom. 4:19 “Container” – in those days there were no glass bottles like we have today. The usual containers for liquids were skins of goats or sheep made watertight. See Matt 9:17. 4:21 Barak with an army had been afraid to meet Sisera (v 8). This woman, alone and without weapons of war, dared to slay him. Obviously she did not agree with her husband when he forsook Israel to become friends of Israel’s enemies. 4:24 “Destroyed” – with his army destroyed and his general dead, Jabin was no match for an Israel whose courage had been revived by two women. 5:1 “Song” – victory over their enemies naturally brought songs to the victors’ hearts and lips (Ex 15:1-18; 2 Sam 22:1-51). Spiritual victories too will result in joyful singing (Eph 5:15-20; Rev 15:2-4). This song

303 JUDGES 5:22

Issachar, and also Barak; he was sent on foot into the valley. In the divisions of Reuben there were

10 “Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit in judgment

and walk by the way.

great searchings of heart. 16 Why did you stay among the sheepfolds to hear the bleatings of the flocks? Concerning the divisions of Reuben

11 “Those who are delivered from the noise of archers in the watering places, there they will declare the righteous

acts of the LORD, the righteous acts toward the

there were great searchings

of heart. 17 Gilead stayed beyond Jordan. And why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued at the seashore,

inhabitants of his villages in

Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down

to the gates.

and stayed at his breakwaters. 18 Zebulun and Naphtali were a people \ who put their lives

12 “Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake! Utter a song! Arise, Barak! And lead your captivity captive,

in jeopardy of death on the high places of the field.

you son of Abinoam.

19 “The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought in

13 “Then he caused the survivors to have dominion over the nobles among the

Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no plunder of silver. 20 They fought from the heavens; the stars in their courses

people; the LORD caused me to have dominion over the mighty.

fought against Sisera. 21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, you have trampled down

14 “From Ephraim a root of those in Amalek came down; after you, Benjamin, among your people. Leaders came down from Machir,

strength. 22 Then the hooves of the horses hammered because of the prancing, the prancing of their mighty ones.

and out of Zebulun those who handle

the pen of the writer. 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;

she was able to inspire leaders and people alike. 5:10 “Donkeys” – indicates the leaders and the wealthy (10:4; 12:14). Horses were not used by the Israelites until later in history. 5:11 “Righteous acts of the LORD” – God’s delivering His people, and destroying the ungodly were righteous acts. God, as always, was acting in perfect justice. See 1 Sam 12:7-11; Ps 145:17; Rev 15:3; 16:5,6. 5:12 “Awake” – a stirring call to action. Compare Ps 7:6; 35:23; 44:23.

5:17 “Gilead” – an area east of the Jordan river occupied by the half tribe of Manasseh.

“Asher” – Dan and Asher had territories along the Mediterranean Sea. 5:18 In the battle of God against the enemies of His people, both those who fought (Ephraim, Benjamin, part of Manasseh, Zebulun, Issachar, Naphtali), and those who refused to fight (Reuben, Dan and Asher) are revealed. So at the end of this age it will be revealed who fought and who did not fight the Lord’s spiritual battles. See 1 Tim 1:18; 6:12; 2 Tim 2:3; 4:7,8. 5:19 “Megiddo” – 4:7. 5:20 This is poetry, and means that God Himself fought against Sisera (see 4:6,7). It does not mean that the position of the stars was unfavorable to Sisera, or any other such superstitious nonsense. The position of the stars and planets has no power to influence men’s fate. The true and living God will deal with every individual according to His own will and wisdom. Our business should be to know Him, serve Him, and please Him in everything, not to try and find out what our horoscopes may be. Every day is a good day if we love and serve the true God. No day is a good day if we do not. See the note at Gen 25:24. 5:21 Their dead bodies fell into the river

“Captive” – compare Ps 68:18; Eph 4:8. 5:13 “Me” – v 1. 5:14 “Amalek” – note at Ex 17:8. Though usually occupying desert areas south and east of Israel, at some time before Israel came into Canaan Amalekites lived in what became Ephraim’s territory. See 12:15. Ephraim put down its roots in what had once been possessed by Amalek.

“Machir” – Manasseh’s firstborn son. His descendants settled on both sides of the Jordan river. Here the reference is to those west of the river. 5:16 “Searchings of heart” – evidently the Reubenites were shaken by doubts about helping their brother tribes in the fight. This was in accordance with the character of their forefather. See Gen 49:3,4.

JUDGES 5:23 304

23 ‘Curse Meroz’, said the angel of the LORD, ‘curse its inhabitants bitterly,

have they not divided the plunder; to each man a girl or two; to Sisera a plunder of garments of

because they did not come to the

various colours, a plunder of various colours of

help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the

needlework, of various colours of needlework

mighty.’

on both sides, for the necks of those who take the

24 “Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; most blessed shall she be of women

plunder?’

in the tent. 25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth curds in an excellent

31 “So may all your enemies perish, O LORD. But may those who love him be like

the sun when it goes forth in its might.”

bowl. 26 She put her hand to the peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s

And the land had rest for forty years.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hands of Midian for seven years. 2 And Midian had the upper hand against Israel; and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and caves and strongholds. 3 And it so happened that when Israel sowed seed, the Midianites would come up, and the Amalekites, and the eastern peoples would come up against them, 4 and would camp against them and destroy the produce of the ground as far as Gaza, and leave no supply of food for Israel, no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, and they would come as numerous as grasshoppers; for both they and their camels were beyond counting. And they would enter the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.

hammer, and with the hammer she struck Sisera. She crushed his head, and she pierced and struck through

his temples. 27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down

dead.

28 “The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried out through the lattice, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why are the wheels of his chariots

delayed?’

29 “Her wise ladies answered her, indeed she gave answer to herself, 30 ‘Have they not found,

7 And it came about, when the children of

and were carried away. 5:23 “Meroz” – a town in Naphtali. It was cursed, not because of what it did, but because of what it did not do. Compare Matt 25:31-33,41-46; 1 Cor 16:22. Note at v 18. See also Matt 12:30. In the Lord’s battles neutrality is not acceptable. If we do not help Him it is as though we hinder Him. If we are not for Him we show we are for His enemies, or at least we reveal an evil indifference to Him and His cause. And men will pay the penalty for that, even though they may pride themselves on their tolerant spirit of neutrality.

God’s grace and power. 5:31 “Perish” – Num 10:35; Ps 68:1,2. See note at Ps 35:8. Notice that there are only two classes of people here – God’s enemies and those who love God. Not loving God means enmity with God – v 23; John 15:18; Rom 8:7; 1 Cor 16:22. 6:1 “Did evil” – 2:18,19; 3:7,12; 4:1. “Midian” – Gen 25:2 - a people to the south and east of Israel. 6:2,3 Midian was not strong enough alone to subjugate Israel. Midian had allies in the Amalekites and other peoples in the region. And God was working against Israel because of its sins (v 1). 6:5 “Grasshoppers” – 7:12. They were compared to grasshoppers both because of their numbers and because they left the land stripped bare. Compare Ex 10:13-15. The prophet Joel used similar language about another invasion. 6:6 “Cried out” – 3:9,15; 4:3. The Israelites

“Angel of the LORD” – note at Gen 16:7. 5:24-27 “Jael” – 4:21. She did not believe in trying to be neutral but came to the help of God’s people against a powerful and ungodly foe. 5:28 “Mother” – eventually mothers of enemies of God will be disappointed; mothers in Israel (v 7) will joyfully sing of

305 JUDGES 6:25

Israel cried to the LORD because of the Midianites, 8 that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt and led you out of the house of bondage, 9 and I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, I am the LORD your God. Do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed my voice.’”

with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as one man.”

17 And he said to him, “If now I have found grace in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you talking with me. 18 Please do not leave here until I come back to you and bring out my offering and place it before you.”

And he said, “I will wait until you come back.” 19 And Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes with an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and put the broth in a pot and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.

11 And the angel of the LORD came and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. And his son Gideon was threshing wheat near the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty warrior.”

20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the LORD stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire came up out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed from his sight.

13 And Gideon said to him, “Oh my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all of this happened to us? And where are all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD, Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.”

14 And the LORD looked at him and said, “Go in this strength of yours, and you will save Israel from the hands of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

23 And the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear. You will not die.”

15 And he said to him, “Oh my Lord, how will I save Israel? See, my family is poor in Manasseh and I am the least in my father’s household.”

24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it Jehovah Shalom. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

16 And the LORD said to him, “I will certainly be

25 And it came about on the same night that as usual waited until they were completely desperate before crying to God. Men in general try to use God as a last resort, when everything else has failed them. 6:8-10 This time God, instead of immediately raising up a deliverer, sent a prophet to remind them of His grace and power and the people’s sins. See Ex 20:1-6. Instruction was needed as much as or more than deliverance. 6:11 “Angel of the LORD” – 5:23. Note at Gen 16:7. Here He appeared as an ordinary man. 6:12 “With you” – Ex 3:12; Josh 1:5; Isa 7:14; Heb 13:5,6. “Warrior” – this word was based on what the angel knew Gideon would do in the future. 6:13 “Why then has all this happened to us” – compare Ps 42:9,10. If we get our eyes away from God and His Word we will fall into perplexity and discouragement. 6:14 “LORD” (Jehovah) – here is proof that “the angel of the LORD” (v 11) is to be identified with Jehovah Himself. Gideon could not save Israel from Midian, but Gideon sent by God could. 6:15 “Lord, how” – another reluctant servant of God. Compare Ex 3:1; 4:13; Jer 1:6; Josh 1:1-3. Isa 6:8 is different.

“Least” – see 1 Cor 1:26-31. 6:17 “Sign” – Gideon was wise to ask for this sign. The person before him appeared as an ordinary man. And it seems Gideon was fully aware that anyone could come and speak in God’s name and try to convince him to take action against Midian. For notes on asking for signs see also vs 36-40; 2 Kings 20:8-11; Isa 7:10,11; etc. When men want to do God’s will and ask for a sign to make sure of His will, God is willing to grant them. But signs should be asked for in faith, not in unbelief (see Matt 12:38,39). 6:18 “I will wait” – in this something of God’s gracious character is revealed. God longs to bless men (Isa 30:18). He waits for them. Compare Rev 3:20. 6:19 “Ephah” – probably about one half bushel. 6:21 Lev 9:24. “Fire” – note at Ex 3:2. This was the sign Gideon asked for in v 17 and it showed that his offering was accepted. 6:22 “Face to face” – 13:22; Gen 32:30. This was a recognition, and fear, of God’s fiery holiness. 6:24 “Altar” – see Gen 8:20. “Shalom” – v 23. A beautiful name of the true God – The LORD is Peace. Note on Jehovah at 3:14,15. 6:25 Note on Baal and Asherah at 2:11; 3:7.

JUDGES 6:26 306

the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the seven year old second bull, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah grove that is by it, 26 and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this rock, in the ordered way. And take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which you cut down.”

out to follow him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who was also called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher and to Zebulun and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

36 And Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 see, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; and if the dew comes only on the fleece, and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it happened like that. For he got up early the next day and squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.

27 Then Gideon took ten of his male servants and did as the LORD told him. But it was like this: he did not do it in daylight, because he was afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city; so he did it at night.

28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, see, the altar of Baal was thrown down and the grove by it was cut down and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.

39 And Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me, and I will speak just once more. I pray you, please let me test with the fleece just once more. Now let the fleece be dry and let there be dew all over the ground.” 40 And God did so that night. For only the fleece was dry and there was dew all over the ground.

29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they made a search and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”

30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son to die, because he has thrown down the altar of Baal and because he has cut down the grove that was by it.”

Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people who were with him, got up early and camped beside Harod’s well, so that the army of the Midianites was to the north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands. If I did, Israel would boast against me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’. 3 Now therefore make an announcement in the hearing of the people and say, ‘Whoever is trembling and afraid, let him go back and leave early from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people went back, leaving ten thousand.

31 And Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you plead for Baal? Will you save him? May the one who pleads for him be put to death while it is still morning. If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because someone has thrown down his altar.” 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal plead against him, because he has thrown down his altar.”

33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the eastern peoples gathered together and crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and the Abiezerites were called

4 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and

6:27 “Afraid” – v 12! Here is an important lesson for all of us – Gideon did not allow his fears to keep him from obeying God. 6:30 “Die” – how utterly perverse their thoughts! Because of their idol worship they were the ones who deserved to die, not Gideon. See Deut 13:6-15. This is an example of how the world, and, alas, sometimes God’s people, turn the truth on its head. 6:31 “His altar” – an excellent answer that reminds us of Elijah’s treatment of the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:21-27. 6:32 “Jerubbaal” means “let Baal contend.” 6:33 “Jezreel” – 4:7; 5:19. 6:34 “Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon” – See 3:10. The Hebrew literally means “the Spirit clothed Himself with Gideon.” This expression in Hebrew is found in only two other places – 1 Chron 12:18; 2 Chron 24:20. “Trumpet” – 3:27.

6:35 “Manasseh” – Gideon was of this tribe. 6:36-40 Gideon should have believed the promise and the sign God had already given (vs 14,16,21). But God did not rebuke Gideon for asking for another sign. He was willing to stoop to Gideon’s weakness and meet his need of further assurance. He knew that by nature Gideon was a fearful and cautious man (vs 15,27; 7:10). Psalm 103:13,14 is always true. 7:1 “Valley” – the plain of Jezreel (6:33). 7:2 “Too many” – see 1 Sam 14:6; Ps 33:16. “Boast” – compare Jer 9:23,24; 1 Cor 1:27-31; 3:21; Eph 2:9. Boasting in themselves would have been disastrous for them. 7:3 “Afraid” – compare Deut 20:8. God did not want many men for the battle but the few He did want had to be willing in faith to risk everything for Him. This is not less true now. 7:4 “Test them” – doubtless God’s process of testing men goes on continually in

307 JUDGES 7:24

I will test them for you there. And it shall be like this: if I say to you about someone, ‘This one shall go with you’, he shall go with you; and if I say about someone else, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel. For God has delivered Midian and all the army into his hands.”

15 And it happened that when Gideon heard the dream being told and its interpretation, he worshipped and returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise! For the LORD has delivered the army of Midian into your hands.” 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in each man’s hand, with empty pitchers, with torches inside the pitchers.

5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, set him apart by himself; likewise everyone who kneels down to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water.

17 And he said to them, “Watch me and do likewise. And, look, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, you must do just as I do. 18 When I blow on a trumpet, I and all those who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on all sides of the whole camp and say, ‘The sword of the LORD and of Gideon.’”

7 And the LORD said to Gideon, “I will save you through the three hundred men who lapped, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. As for all the others, let each man go to his place.” 8 So the people took provisions in their hands and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel away, each man to his tent, and kept those three hundred men. And the army of Midian was below him in the valley.

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set a new guard. And they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow on. And they cried out, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!” 21 And each man stood in his place around the camp. And the whole army ran, and cried out as they fled.

9 And it came about the same night that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down to the army, for I have delivered it into your hands. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down with your servant Phurah to the army, 11 and you can hear what they are saying. And after that your hands will be strengthened to go down to the army.” Then he went down with Phurah his servant to the outposts of the armed men in the camp. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the eastern people lay along in the valley like grasshoppers in number; and their camels were beyond counting, as many as the sand on the seashore.

22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow soldier, throughout the whole army. And the army fled to Beth-Shittah in Zererath and to the border of Abel-Meholah, to Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh and chased after the Midianites. 24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and in advance of them seize the water crossings as far as Beth-Barah and the Jordan.” Then all the men

13 And when Gideon came, just then a man was telling a dream to his companion and saying, “Look, I had a dream, and, see, a cake of barley bread came rolling into the camp of Midian, and came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned it, so that the tent lay flat.”

14 And his companion answered and said, “This

unseen ways. 7:6 The 300 remained alert and prepared for action, while the remainder relaxed and showed themselves vulnerable to attack. God did not need many men, but the few He wanted had to be watchful and ready for anything. Can we think it is any different for the Lord’s spiritual battles now? 7:10 “Afraid” – God knew that Gideon by nature was a man tempted to timidity and fear (6:15,27), and gave him further encouragement in the incident which follows (vs 11-14). 7:15 God’s method of encouraging His timid servant bore fruit. In general we can say that anything that encourages our faith in the one true God is from God (compare

2 Thess 2:17), anything that discourages our faith is from some source in opposition to God. 7:18 “Gideon” – Gideon was not concerned for his own honor here – he knew that the enemy feared his name (v 14). 7:19 “Middle watch” – there were three watches during the night. The middle one was at a time when sleep would have fallen on the camp. 7:21,22 Compare Josh 23:10; 1 Sam 14:14,15; 2 Kings 7:6,7. Obedience to God and boldness of faith can always defeat superior forces. Compare Luke 10:9,20; Jam 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8,9. 7:24 “Jordan” – to present the enemy escaping eastward across the river.

JUDGES 7:25 308

of Ephraim gathered together and seized the water crossings as far as Beth-Barah and the Jordan.

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the armies of the eastern peoples. For a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew sword had fallen. 11 And Gideon went up by way of the tent dwellers to the east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army; for the army was off guard. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and seized the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.

25 And they captured two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they killed Oreb on the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. And they pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

And the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you treated us like this, not calling us when you went to fight against the Midianites?” And they rebuked him sharply.

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, 14 and caught a young man of the men of Succoth and questioned him; and the youth wrote down for him the names of the leaders of Succoth, and its elders, seventyseven men. 15 And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “See Zebah and Zalmunna about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your weary men?’” 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns and briars from the wilderness, and with them gave a lesson to the men of Succoth. 17 And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

2 And he said to them, “What have I done now compared with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer? 3 God has delivered the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, into your hands. And what was I able to do compared with you?” Then their anger toward him subsided, when he said that.

4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed it, he and the three hundred men with him, weary but still pursuing the enemy. 5 And he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me; for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”

18 Then said he to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were those whom you killed at Tabor?”

6 And the princes of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?”

And they answered, “They were like you. Each one looked like the children of a king.”

19 And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.” 20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the youth did not draw his sword, because he was afraid; for he was still a youth.

7 And Gideon said, “So when the LORD delivers Zebah and Zalmunna into my hands, then I will rip up your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briars.”

8 And he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9 And he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “You rise up and strike us down. For as the man, so is his strength.” And Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

7:25 “Zeeb” – Ps 83:11. 8:1 “Sharply” – those who win great victories are not always applauded for them. See 12:1 also. These criticizers in their self-centeredness could not praise God for a success won through someone else. 8:2 Gideon is saying that Ephraim’s final pursuit of the enemy (“gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes”) was far more important than his own initial attack (“full grape harvest of Abiezer.” Abiezer was Gideon’s clan – 6:11). 8:3 “Subsided” – Prov 15:1. Gideon did not add fuel to the flames of envy that had begun to blaze in their hearts. He did not want the campaign against Midian to be hindered. He would rather win the battle against the enemy than win the argument against allies, and was willing to praise them

rather than himself. In all this he displayed true wisdom. 8:4 “But still pursuing” – this should be true also in our spiritual life in Christ. Paul was sometimes exhausted (2 Cor 4:8,9; 7:5; etc), but he kept pursuing the goal (Phil 3:13,14). 8:5 “Succoth” – Gen 33:17; Josh 13:27; 1 Kings 7:46. This was an Israelite town east of the Jordan river. Its people should have been glad to help Gideon in his efforts to destroy his and their enemies. 8:7 Compare 5:23. 8:8 “Penuel” – Gen 32:30,31; 1 Kings 12:25. Another Israelite town which should have helped Gideon. 8:15-17 Again we see the seriousness of the sin of refusing to help God’s servants in their fight against God’s enemies. Note at 5:23.

309 JUDGES 9:4

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son and your grandson; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

sons, his bodily descendants; for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine, who was in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

23 And Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD shall rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “I would request that each one of you give me the earrings from his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because the enemy had been Ishmaelites.)

33 And it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned back and prostituted themselves to the Baals and made Baal-Berith their god. 34 And the children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 And they did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, that is, Gideon, for all the good which he had done to Israel.

25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloth, and each man threw on it the earrings from his plunder. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred shekels of gold. Besides there were ornaments and necklaces and purple clothing that had been on the kings of Midian, besides the chains that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And with this gold Gideon made an ephod and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel went there prostituting themselves to it. This became a snare to Gideon and to his household.

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with the whole family of the household of his mother’s father, saying, 2 “Please say in the hearing of all the men of Shechem, ‘What is better for you, that all the seventy sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.’”

28 In this way Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they no longer lifted up their heads. And the country had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.

3 And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the

29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 And Gideon had seventy

8:22 “Rule over us” – they revealed the desire in the hearts of men to have, not God, but a strong man rule them. See note at 1 Sam 8:5-22. Very briefly these Israelites unknowingly voiced a fact evident in the whole history of the world – a tendency to make benefactors into dictators. 8:23 “I will not rule over you” – Gideon is in great and wonderful contrast to many even in Christian circles who grasp for power at any cost and love to lord it over others.

self-worship, and so found themselves in opposition to Him. 8:29 “Jerubbaal” – Gideon (6:32). 8:30 “Many wives” – this is not an example God wants us to follow – Gen 30:1; 2 Sam 3:2-5; 1 Kings 11:1-8. 8:33,34 2:18,19. “Prostituted” – Ex 34:15; Lev 20:5; Jer 2:2; etc. Baal Berith means “Lord of the covenant.” They worshiped a false god who could neither make nor keep a covenant and rejected the one true God who was in a living covenant relationship with them (Ex 19:5,6). Notes on Baal at 2:11. This is what spiritual prostitution is like. 8:35 People who are not grateful to God may not show much gratitude to His servants either. 9:1 8:29-31. Once again, as the following story reveals, the having of multiple wives proved disastrous. See Gen 30:1; 2 Sam 3:2-5; 1 Kings 11:1-8. Those who do not follow God’s appointed way will suffer the consequences. 9:2 8:23. 9:3 They did not inquire what sort of man Abimelech was. Since he was a relative he was acceptable as their leader, regardless of his character. In this way people will often get the worst kind of leaders, and will deserve them. 9:4 “Seventy silver shekels” – about 0.8 kilogram.

“The LORD will rule over you” – Num 23:21; 1 Sam 12:12. Now there is only one Head of the Church that God approves – the Lord Jesus Christ the King (Eph 1:22; 4:15; 5:23). Beware that any speak of Him as those in the parable He taught (Luke 19:14). 8:24 Ishmaelites formed a part of the defeated army. 8:26 “A thousand seven hundred shekels” – about 19.5 kilograms. 8:27 “Ephod” – Ex 28:6-30; 39:2-26; Lev 8:7. “Prostituting themselves to it” – this means they worshipped it in place of the true God. As usual they, as men in general do, took something once appointed by God, and perverted it into something against God (compare 2 Kings 18:4). Indeed, throughout their history many in Israel perverted the use of the whole law of God and made it an instrument for self-righteousness and

“Baal Berith” – 8:33.

JUDGES 9:5 310

house of Baal-Berith. With it Abimelech hired worthless and reckless persons to follow him. 5 And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on the same stone. However Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, for he hid himself. 6 And all the men of Shechem and all Beth Millo gathered together and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak at the pillar in Shechem.

delivered you from the hands of Midian. 18 And at this time you have risen up against my father’s household and have killed his seventy sons on the same stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the people of Shechem, because he is your brother); 19 if then you have dealt in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his household this day, then be happy with Abimelech, and let him also be happy with you. 20 But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth-Millo, and may fire come out from the men of Shechem and Beth-Millo, and devour Abimelech.”

7 And when they told this to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and raised his voice and shouted and said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8 Once the trees went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’

21 And Jotham ran off and escaped. He went to Beer and stayed there, for fear of his brother Abimelech.

9 “But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my fatness, with which God and man are honoured, and go to hold sway over the trees?’

22 And Abimelech reigned three years over Israel. 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech. 24 God’s purpose was that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come back on their brother Abimelech who killed them, and the shedding of their blood be put on him and on the men of Shechem who assisted him in the killing of his brothers. 25 And the men of Shechem set men in ambush for him on the top of the mountains, and they robbed everyone who came near them along that way. And this was told to Abimelech.

10 “And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’

11“But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to hold sway over the trees?’

12 “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’

13 “And the vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees?’

14 “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’

26 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brothers and went over to Shechem. And the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the fields, and harvested their vineyards and trampled out the grapes and held a festival, and went into the house of their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal? And isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem;

15 “And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If you anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow. But if not, may fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

16 “Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt fairly with Jerubbaal and his household and have done to him as he deserved 17 (For my father fought for you and risked his life and

9:5,6 “Beth Millo” – or “the house of Millo” – the Hebrew word “Beth” means “house.”

Israel that submitted to him. 9:23 “Evil spirit” – this may mean that God, for purposes of judgment, created an attitude of enmity between Abimelech and the people. Or it may mean that an evil spirit in the unseen world was sent to Shechem. Compare 1 Sam 16:14,23; 1 Kings 22:1923. See also notes at 2 Sam 24:1; Job 1:7. 9:24 Verses 56,57 – an example of how God takes vengeance on evil men for their evil deeds. Note and references at Num 31:2,3. 9:26-55 An example of the way men behave when God is not their king and they do what they please (21:25). 9:28 “Hamor” – Hamor was the Canaanite who founded the city of Shechem before Israel even arrived in the land

“King” – little they cared that Abimelech was a murderer of his brothers. It was enough that he was their relative! In this way, sometimes even in Christian circles, thieves and immoral men gain positions of leadership. But if God’s true blessing is desired, God’s principles must be followed. 9:8-15 Jotham means that his slain brothers were like good and profitable trees and not one had desired to be king. The people of Shechem had chosen one like a thorn bush to rule them. 9:20 Jotham is saying that Abimelech and the people of Shechem would be the destruction of one another. This curse on them God fulfilled (v 57). 9:22 Abimelech ruled only that part of

311 JUDGES 10:1

for why should we serve him? 29 Would to God that this people were under my hand! Then I would get rid of Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”

with him, rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And the other two groups rushed on all the people who were in the fields and killed them. 45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city and killed the people who were in it, and broke down the city and sowed it with salt.

30 And when Zebul, the governor of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Look, Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem. And, see, they are stirring up the city against you. 32 Now therefore get up at night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33 And in the morning, as soon as the sun rises, it should be that you get up early and attack the city. And, look, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, then you can do to them as you see the opportunity.”

46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered the inner room of the temple of the god Berith. 47 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered together. 48 And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees and picked it up and put it on his shoulder, and said to the people who were with him, “Hurry and do the same thing that you have seen me do.” 49 And each man among all the people also cut down his branch and followed Abimelech, and put them against the inner room and set fire to the room on the men; so that all the persons of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

34 And Abimelech, and all the people who were with him, got up at night and set an ambush against Shechem in four groups. 35 And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech, and the people who were with him, got up out of the ambush.

36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the top of the mountains.” And Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of the mountains looking like men.”

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez and camped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men and women, everyone in the city, fled there and shut themselves in and went up to the top of the tower. 52 And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and went near the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman threw a piece of a millstone on Abimelech’s head and broke his skull.

37 And Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the middle of the land, and another group is coming along by the plain of Meonenim.”

38 Then Zebul said to him, “Now where is your mouth with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you have despised? Please go out and fight with them.”

54 Then he quickly called to the young man who was his armour-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that men do not say about me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man pierced him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each man left for his place.

39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. 41 And Abimelech stayed at Arumah. And Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out, so that they could not stay in Shechem.

56 In this way God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God returned on the heads of the men of Shechem all their evil. And the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal, came on them.

42 And it came about on the next day, that the people went out into the field and told Abimelech. 43 And he took the people and divided them into three groups and set an ambush in the field, and watched. And now the people came out of the city, and he rose up against them and attacked them. 44 And Abimelech, and the group that was

And after Abimelech, Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, rose up to defend Israel. And he lived in Shamir in Mount

(Gen 33:18,19). 9:46 “The god Berith” – or “El-Berith.” The name means “god of the covenant.” This god is the same as Baal-Berith (v 4; 8:33). 9:49 Verses 3,20. 9:54 Even while dying, pride was the ruling passion of his heart. There is no confession

of sin, no calling on God. So ends the sad account of the son of a great man in Israel. 9:56,57 Once again we see the unseen God justly judging the actions of men and causing them to reap what they sow. See Esther 7:10; Ps 18:25-27; etc. 10:1 This Tola is never mentioned again in

JUDGES 10:2 312

Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years, and died and was buried in Shamir.

chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.”

3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty young donkeys, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-Jair to this day. They are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

15 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever seems good to you. Only deliver us, we pray you, this day.” 16 And they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD. And his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

6 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and Ashtaroth and the gods of Syria and the gods of Sidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the children of Ammon and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD and did not serve him. 7 And the anger of the LORD burned against Israel and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon. 8 And that year they troubled and oppressed the children of Israel. For eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, in the land of the Amorites. 9 Moreover the children of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah also and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.

17 Then the children of Ammon gathered together and camped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves and camped in Mizpeh. 18 And the people and leaders of Gilead said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He will be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior, and he was the son of a prostitute. And Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 And Gilead’s wife bore him sons. And his wife’s sons grew up and drove out Jephthah and said to him, “You will not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and stayed in the land of Tob. And worthless fellows gathered around Jephthah and went around with him.

10 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you by forsaking our God, and also by serving the Baals.”

4 And it so happened in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And it happened that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob, 6 and said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, so that we can fight with the children of Ammon.”

11 And the LORD said to the children of Israel, “Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines? 12 Also the Sidonians and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to me, and I delivered you from their hands. 13 Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods. Therefore I will no longer deliver you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have

7 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? And why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?”

the Bible. We are not told why he, being of the tribe of Issachar, came to live in Ephraim. Perhaps it was merely because Ephraim was centrally located in the whole land. 10:2 “Judged” – or “led.” 10:3-5 “Jair” – we know nothing more of Jair than is given in these verses. Gilead was east of the Jordan river. “Havvoth Jair” means the villages of Jair. 10:6 “Again” – 2:18,19; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1. Nothing could long prevent them from following the desires of their depraved hearts. Are we better by nature than they? See Rom 3:9.

10:7 “Anger” – 2:12,20; Num 25:3; Ps 90: 7-11. “Ammon” – the Philistines were on the west of Israel, the Ammonites on the east. Israel was as if between two grinding stones. 10:10 “Cried out to the LORD” – 3:9,15; 4:3; 6:6,7. Did they wait eighteen years to cry to God (v 8)?

“We have sinned” – confession of sin that is merely the result of some physical distress (v 9) is not the kind of confession God requires. See Ex 9:27. 10:11 “The LORD said” – probably through a prophet. 10:14 “Tribulation” – Isa 44:17; 45:20; 46:7; 57:13. 10:15,16 These words and actions showed a measure of repentance, but God knew their good intentions would be like the dew of the morning of a hot day. 11:1 “Warrior” – 6:12; 1 Tim 6:12. 11:3 “Tob” – 2 Sam 10:6,8. A land on the Syrian border.

“Baals and Ashtoreth” – see 2:11-13; 1 Kings 11:5. These gods were not enough for these stubborn and sinful people. They wanted to worship all the gods of all Israel’s enemies. If we do not choose the true God as our one God, we will never be satisfied with the gods, no matter how many they may be.

313 JUDGES 11:29

8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “So we turn again to you now, so that you may go with us and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

and camped on the other side of the Arnon, but did not enter the territory of Moab. For the Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 “‘And Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, “Please let us pass through your land to my place.” 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, and Sihon gathered all his people together and camped in Jahaz and fought against Israel.

9 And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them up to me, will I be your head?”

10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “May the LORD be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.” 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

21 “‘And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hands of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of the whole land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 22 And they took over all the territories of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the desert to the Jordan.

12 And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What is there between you and me, that you have come against me to fight in my land?”

23 “‘So the LORD God of Israel dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and now should you possess it? 24 Will you not possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whomever the LORD our God drove out from before us, their land we will possess.

13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because when Israel came up from Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan. Now therefore restore those regions again peaceably.”

25 “‘And now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel or did he ever fight against them? 26 While Israel lived in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that are along by the territories of the Arnon for three hundred years, why did you not recover them during that time? 27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you are wronging me by warring against me. May the LORD the Judge be the judge today between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.’”

14 And Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, 15 and they said to him, “This is what Jephthah says: ‘Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the children of Ammon, 16 but when Israel came up from Egypt and travelled through the desert to the Red Sea and came to Kadesh, 17 then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” But the king of Edom would not hear of it. And in the same way they sent word to the king of Moab. But he would not consent. And Israel stayed in Kadesh.

28 However the king of the children of Ammon did not listen to the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

18 “‘Then they went along through the desert and went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and travelled to the east of the land of Moab

29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on

11:9 “LORD delivers them up to me” – a recognition that victory would not come by his skill in battle but by God’s grace. Jephthah is listed with the heroes of faith in Heb 11:32. 11:13 “My land” – this was a false claim, as Jephthah makes clear in the following verses. When there is greed for land the facts of history are often ignored or perverted. 11:15-22 Jephthah gives the truth about things – Num 20:14-21; 21:10-12, 21-35. 11:20 “Did not trust Israel” – or the meaning might be “would not make an agreement with Israel.” 11:21 Verse 9. 11:24 “Chemosh” – pronounced Key-mosh. Note at 1 Kings 11:7. Actually their god Chemosh had given them nothing, and could give them nothing – Ps 115:1-8. It was the God of Israel, the one true God,

who divided to all nations their lands (Acts 17:24-28). But this was not understood by everyone in Old Testament days any more than it is now. 11:25 “Balak” – Num 22:1,2. 11:26 Three hundred years had elapsed since Moses led Israel to the Jordan river. This places the time of this story at about 1100 B.C., almost a hundred years before David began his reign. 11:27 “Judge” – 1 Sam 24:12-15. They are wise who let God decide what they should have or not have, and leave the working out of justice to Him (Gen 18:25; Deut 32:4; 2 Chron 19:7; Ps 58:11; 71:9; 75:7; 89:14; 94:2). 11:28 They who are determined to pursue their own course will not be changed by reason, or by appeals to history. 11:29 3:10; 6:34; 13:25; 14:6,19.

JUDGES 11:30 314

Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpeh of Gilead; and from Mizpeh of Gilead he went on to the children of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you deliver the children of Ammon into my hands without fail, 31 then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it as a burnt offering.”

38 And he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her companions and on the mountains lamented because of her virginity. 39 And it came about at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he did with her in accordance with the vow which he had made. And she did not know a man. And it became a custom in Israel, 40 that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days in a year.

32 So Jephthah went on to the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. 33 And he struck them down from Aroer as far as Minnith, twenty cities, and to the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. In this way the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

And the men of Ephraim gathered together and went northward, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you pass over to fight against the children of Ammon and not call us to go with you? We will burn down your house on you with fire.”

2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people were struggling greatly with the children of Ammon, and when I called you, you did not rescue me from their hands. 3 And when I saw that you did not rescue me, I put my life in my hands and went out against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hands. Why then have you come up to me today to fight against me?”

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh to his house, and just then his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. And she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came about, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD and I cannot go back on it.”

4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim down, because they said, “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.” 5 And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites; and it happened that when those Ephraimites who escaped said, “Let me go over”, that the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No”, 6 then they said to him, “Now say Shibboleth.” And he would say “Sibboleth”, unable to pronounce it correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the

36 And she said to him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to me according to what came out of your mouth, since the LORD has taken vengeance for you on your enemies, on the children of Ammon.”

37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone for two months, so that I may go up and down on the mountains and lament because of my virginity, I and my companions.”

11:30,31 “Vow” – Israelites practiced the making of vows (Gen 28:20; Lev 7:16; 22:17; 27:2; 1 Sam 1:11; 2 Sam 15:7), and since they were often foolish sometimes their vows must have been foolish. Certainly the vow of Jephthah was.

lament because she would not be able to marry. In Israel virginity before marriage was regarded as the normal thing, and something to be honored, as it should be now. Women of Israel considered not marrying and not having children a thing of sorrow and shame. 11:39 “Vow” – vs 31,35. 12:1 “Ephraim” – compare 8:1. “Fire” – a great reward for saving Israel! 12:4 “Fugitives” – Ephraim and Manasseh were both descended from one forefather – Joseph. The Gileadites, most of whom were of the tribe of Manasseh, had asked for and received their inheritance east of the Jordan river, away from the rest of the people of Manasseh and Ephraim. This was sometimes a source of friction between those to the east and those to the west of the Jordan. See Joshua chapter 22. Now a civil war erupted – the first, it seems, among any of the tribes of Israel. 12:5 “Fords” – 3:28; Josh 2:7. 12:6 “Forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites”

“Burnt offering” – an offering that was killed and completely burned on the altar (Lev 1:3-9). 11:32 “LORD delivered” – Jephthah’s victory was not because of his vow, but because God had raised him up for that very purpose (v 29). The victory would have been just as certain without his rash vow. 11:35 “Tore his clothes” – in Israel a usual way to show dismay, sorrow, or alarm.

“I cannot go back on it” – see Num 30:2; Deut 23:21-23; Eccl 5:45. He was not as many who treat lightly their promises to God and easily forget them. 11:36 She too knew how serious a matter it was to break a vow to God. 11:37 “Lament because of my virginity” –

315 JUDGES 13:14

Jordan. And at that time forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell.

will conceive and bear a son. And no razor is to come on his head; for the child is to be a Nazirite to God from birth. And he will begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.”

7 And Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God, very awesome. But I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, ‘Look, you will conceive and bear a son. And now drink no wine or strong drink and do not eat any unclean thing; for the child is to be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.’”

8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 And he had thirty sons and thirty daughters, whom he sent outside the family, and brought in thirty girls from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel for seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel. And he judged Israel for ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulonite died and was buried in Aijalon in the region of Zebulun.

8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, “O my Lord, let the man of God whom you sent come back to us and teach us what we should do for the child that will be born.”

13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. 14 And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young donkeys. And he judged Israel for eight years. 15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill of the Amalekites.

9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came back to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 And the woman ran quickly and told her husband and said to him, “Look, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.”

And once more the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

11 And Manoah arose and followed his wife and came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to the woman?” And he said, “I am.”

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had not borne children. 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Look now, you are barren and have not borne children; but you will conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore you must be careful and not drink wine or strong drink. And do not eat any unclean thing. 5 For, look, you

12 And Manoah said, “Now let your words be fulfilled. What should the boy’s rule of life be and what should his work be?”

13 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Let the woman be careful about all that I said to her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, and she must not drink wine or strong drink or eat any unclean thing. She must observe all that I commanded her.”

– such was the sad consequences of their envy. Oh, envy is a bitter thing, unfit to have a place in a Christian’s heart. Compare Prov 14:30; 27:4; Matt 27:18. 12:7 “Judged” – or “led.” The Hebrew word means both things. 12:8 “Bethlehem” – besides the famous Bethlehem in Judah there was another in Zebulun about 11 kilometers from Nazareth (Josh 19:15,16). It is not known which Bethlehem is meant here. 12:12 “Aijalon” – there were also two Aijalons, the other was in Ephraim where God performed a miracle for Joshua (Josh 10:12-14). 12:15 “Amalekites” – note at 5:14. 13:1 “Once more” – 2:18,19; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6. “Philistines” – see Gen 10:14. 13:2 “Zorah” – a town in Dan (Josh 19:40,41) near the territory occupied by the Philistines.

13:3 “Angel of the LORD” – note at Gen 16:7. 13:5 “Nazirite” – notes at Num 6:2-5. “Begin” – many years later king David completed the deliverance Samson had begun (2 Sam 5:17-25; 8:1). God does not always immediately deliver His people from those persons or those things which trouble and torment them. 13:6 The angel appeared to her in the form of a man. 13:8 “Teach us” – all parents would do well to look to God to find out how to bring up their children, and not assume that they know how, or get their only information on the subject from some book or other written by worldly men (see Eph 6:4). 13:13,14 It is interesting that the instruction the angel gave was not for the son but for the mother. In other words, the most important thing in bringing up children is for parents first to obey God and be what He wants them to be.

“Barren” – Gen 11:30; 16:1; 25:21; 1 Sam 1:2; Luke 1:7.

JUDGES 13:15 316

15 And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “I pray you, let us detain you until we prepare a young goat for you.”

And Samson went down to Timnath and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he came up and told his father and his mother and said, “I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. So now get her for me as my wife.”

16 And the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “Though you may detain me, I will not eat your bread. But if you offer a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the LORD.

3 Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren or among all my people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”

17 And Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name? Tell us, so that when your words come true we can honour you.”

18 And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, since it is a wonder?” 19 So Manoah took a young goat, with a grain offering, and offered it on a rock to the LORD. And the angel did a wonderful thing as Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it happened that when the flame rose up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the LORD went up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife saw it and fell on their faces to the ground. 21 But the angel of the LORD did not appear again to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD.

4 But his father and his mother did not know that it was of the LORD, that he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel. 5 Then Samson and his father and his mother went down to Timnath and came to the vineyards of Timnath, and a young lion appeared, roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily on him, and he tore it just as he would have torn a young goat, and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 And he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We will certainly die, because we have seen God.”

23 But his wife said to him, “If the LORD wanted to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, and he would not have shown us all these things or told us such things as these at this time.”

8 And after a time he returned to get her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion and saw that there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. 9 And he took some of it in his hands, and walked on eating it and came to his father and mother, and he gave some to them, and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson made a feast there, for doing so was the

13:25 “Spirit of the LORD” – 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 14:6,19. Notes and references on the Holy Spirit at Gen 1:2; Matt 3:16; John 14:16,17; etc. 14:2 “Get her for me” – parents then, as now among most people in India, arranged marriages for their sons and daughters. 14:3 “Uncircumcised” – 1 Sam 14:6. Note on circumcision at Gen 17:9-14. Samson’s parents were unhappy with Samson’s choice. Doubtless they knew that God had prohibited marriages between His people and those not His people – Deut 7:1-3. Compare 2 Cor 6:14-18. 14:4 “Of the LORD” – compare Gen 45:8 and 2 Sam 24:1 with 1 Chron 21:1; 12:15; 2 Chron 25:20; Acts 2:23. God can use even the weaknesses and sinful acts of his own people (as well as those who are not His people) to fulfill His purposes. 14:6 “Spirit” – 13:25. “What he had done” – Samson was not like some men who have to boast of every small thing they do.

13:15,16 Heb 13:2. 13:17 “Name” – Gen 32:29. Manoah thought he was speaking with a human prophet.

“Come true” – Deut 18:21,22. 13:18 “A wonder” – see Isa 9:6. It was not possible for the angel of the LORD, who was a manifestation of Jehovah Himself, to tell Manoah all His name, that is, all His nature and attributes. Ex 34:5-7 gives the briefest possible summary of them. But the whole Bible is hardly sufficient to reveal all of God’s name. It is wonderful indeed, beyond our full comprehension at present. Compare Rom 11:33-36. 13:21,22 “God” – Manoah realized something that some readers of the Bible today do not realize – that the angel of the LORD was a manifestation of God Himself. He thought death would result from their seeing Him. See 6:23; Ex 33:20. 13:23 Sometimes wives have more common sense than their husbands. 13:24 “Samson” – the name comes from a Hebrew word meaning “sun” or “brightness.”

317 JUDGES 15:11

custom of the young men. 11 And it came about, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house. 20 But Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his friend.

12 And Samson said to them, “I will now give you a riddle. If you can tell it to me within the seven days of the feast and find out its meaning, then I will give you thirty linen sheets and thirty changes of clothes. 13 But if you cannot tell it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen sheets and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Give your riddle, and we will listen to it.”

But a little time later, in the time of wheat harvest, it came about that Samson visited his wife with a young goat. And he said, “I will go in to my wife in her room.” But her father would not let him go in.

2 And her father said, “I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Isn’t her younger sister prettier than she? Please take her instead of her.”

14 And he said to them,

“Out of the eater came something

3 And Samson said about them, “Now I will be blameless in regard to the Philistines, even though I harm them.” 4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches and turned the foxes tail to tail and put a torch in the middle between two tails. 5 And when he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and also the standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.

to eat, and out of the strong came something

sweet.”

And in three days they could not explain the riddle. 15 And it came about on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you called us to take what we have? Is it not so ?”

16 And Samson’s wife wept in front of him and said, “You only hate me and do not love me. You have given a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me.”

6 Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they answered, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his friend.” And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.

And he said to her, “Look, I have not told it to my father or my mother, and will I tell it to you?”

7 And Samson said to them, “Since you have done this, I will take vengeance on you, and after that I will stop.” 8 And he struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter. And he went down and stayed on the top of the rock Etam.

17 And she wept in front of him for the seven days, while their feast lasted; and it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressured him so hard. And she told the riddle to the sons of her people.

9 Then the Philistines went up and camped in Judah and spread out in Lehi. 10 And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?”

18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before sunset, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?”

And they answered, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.”

And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”

11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this you have done to us?”

19 And the Spirit of the LORD came on him and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, and took the plunder from them and gave changes of clothes to those who explained the

And he said to them, “I did to them just as they did to me.”

“Ashkelon” – one of the chief cities of the Philistines. 15:3 “Philistines” – 13:1; 14:4. 15:4 “Foxes” – the word in Hebrew may also mean jackals. 15:7 “Vengeance” – note at Num 31:2,3. 15:9 “Lehi” – the exact location of Lehi (and Etam – v 8) is not known. 15:11 “Three thousand men” – a huge force to capture one man – an indication of their respect for Samson’s prowess.

14:15 “Seventh” – some versions have “fourth.”

“Fire”– another unpleasant glimpse of man’s nature – Rom 1:28-31. 14:16 “Love me” – 16:15. A common method of some women who want to bring unjust pressure on their men to get them to do something or other.

“My people” – the thirty companions (v 11-13) were Philistines. 14:18 “My heifer” – a heifer is a young cow, especially one that has not had a calf. Samson means his wife. 14:19 “Spirit of the LORD” – 13:25; 14:6.

“Rulers over us” – 14:4. “Did to me” – compare Matt 5:38-41; 7:12; Luke 6:27-31.

JUDGES 15:12 318

12 And they said to him, “We have come to bind you, so that we can deliver you into the hands of the Philistines.”

fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 But God hollowed out a place there in Lehi, and water came out of it. And when he had drunk, his strength returned and he revived. Therefore he called its name En-Hakkore. It is in Lehi to this day.

And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.”

13 And they spoke to him, saying, “No; but we will bind you fast and deliver you into their hands. But we will certainly not kill you.” And they bound him with two new cords and brought him from the rock.

20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines for twenty years.

Then Samson went to Gaza, and he saw a prostitute there and went in to her. 2 And someone told the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded him and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city, and were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.”

14 And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily on him, and the cords that were on his arms became like flax burned in the fire and his bonds came loose from his hands. 15 And he saw a fresh jawbone of a donkey and put out his hand and picked it up, and with it killed a thousand men.

3 And Samson lay down until midnight, and got up at midnight and picked up the doors of the city gate and the two posts and went away with them, bar and all. And he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill that is before Hebron.

16 And Samson said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey,

heaps on heaps! With the jaw of a donkey I have killed

4 And it came about afterwards, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him and see what his great strength lies in, and how we can overpower him, so that we can bind him and subdue him, and each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”

a thousand men.”

17 And it came about, when he finished saying this, that he threw the jawbone out of his hand and called that place Ramath-Lehi. 18 And he was very thirsty, and called out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance into the hand of your servant, and now must I die from thirst and

15:20 “Judged” – or “led” – the Hebrew word means both. 16:1 “Gaza” – another (14:19) of the five chief cities of the Philistines.

15:12 Instead of opposing their enemies they accepted their authority over them and opposed the one who would not – not an unknown thing in spiritual matters as well. 15:14 “Spirit of the LORD” – 13:25. Four times the account speaks of the Spirit of the LORD in connection with the work of Samson – more often than with any other person in the book of Judges, or indeed with any other Old Testament character except Ezekiel. Yet Samson sometimes revealed himself as a carnal man. He is an illustration of the truth of Zech 4:6. 15:15 “A thousand men” – compare 3:31; 2 Sam 23:8. Samson’s feat was unequaled by any man in the Bible. 15:17 “Ramath-Lehi” – the name means “jawbone hill.” 15:18 “To the LORD” – the first mention of Samson praying. There is only one other (16:28).

“To her” – Samson was physically strong, morally weak. His moral weakness eventually cost him his freedom, his eyes, and his life (vs 21,30). Prov 23:27,28 is always true and Gal 6:7 is a principle that applies to all. 16:3 “Hebron” – a city in Judah 60 or 70 kilometers from Gaza. Did Samson go all that distance? or just to the top of some high hill which looked toward Hebron? 16:4 “Delilah” – probably another Philistine, though this is not certain. She could have been of some other people or even a traitorous Israelite. Her name probably means “a flirt” or “a devotee.” The verses which follow show she flirted with money and was more devoted to it than to Samson or probably anything else. Samson did not have the moral strength to resist her (v 1). But in all this too God would work out His purposes against the Philistines (14:4). 16:5 “Eleven hundred shekels” – about 13 kilograms. Comparison with 17:10 shows something of the value of so much silver in those days. There are always people who will sell lovers, friends, principles, and their own souls for money – Matt 26:14-16.

“Deliverance” – as all the heroes of faith did, Samson acknowledged that victory was given by God – 12:3. Compare Deut 20:4; Josh 21:44; Ps 44:7; 144:9,10. All spiritual victories will come the same way. 15:19 “Out of it” – God is perfectly able to supply the needs of His servants any time, anywhere – Ex 16:3,4,11,12; 17:6; 1 Kings 17:2-6,9; Ps 23:1,5. Let us not speak as Israel did in Ps 78:19. En-Hakkore is Hebrew and means “The spring of the one who calls out.”

“His great strength” – it seems from this that Samson did not have the appearance of an exceptionally strong man. They

319 JUDGES 16:23

6 And Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what your great strength lies in and what you can be bound with to subdue you.”

15 And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you’, when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me what your great strength lies in.” 16 And it came about as she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, so that his soul was vexed to death, 17 that he told her all his heart and said to her, “No razor has come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me and I will become weak and be like any other man.”

7 And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh straps that have never been dried, then I will be weak and become like any other man.”

8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh straps which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now men were lurking there, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson.” And he broke the straps, as a piece of string snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up just this once, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought money in their hands. 19 And she put him asleep on her knees; and she called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. And she began to subdue him, and his strength went from him.

10 And Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now please tell me what you can be bound with.”

11 And he said to her, “If they bind me tightly with new ropes that have never been used, then I will be weak and become like any other man.”

12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson.” And there were men in ambush staying in the room. And he snapped them off his arms like a thread.

20 And she said, “The Philistines are on you, Samson.”

And he awoke out of his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself.” And he did not know that the LORD had left him.

13 And Delilah said to Samson, “Up till now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you can be bound with.”

21 Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with bronze fetters. And he became a grinder in the prison house. 22 However, after he had been shaved, the hair of his head began to grow again.

And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of hair on my head with the cloth on a loom.”

14 And she fastened it with the peg, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson.” And he woke from his sleep, and went away with the peg of the beam and with the cloth on the loom.

23 Then the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”

realized there was some secret that did not meet the eye. 16:7 Samson foolishly begins to play a dangerous game that concerned holy truth about his relationship with God. It resulted in disaster (v 17), as it was bound to do. 16:11 Even Samson, not the most intellectual of men, knew now that Delilah was trying to trap him for the Philistines. But he continued the game. 16:13 “Hair on my head” – now Samson gets closer to the truth. 16:15 “Love you” – Samson finally gave in to this argument as he had before (14:16). Some people make the same mistake again and again. In this respect Samson the deliverer was like the people he tried to deliver. 16:16 Compare Prov 27:15,16. 16:17 He knew his great strength was not in his physical frame but in his relationship to God (13:25; 14:6,19; 15:14). So now the believer’s strength is not in himself but in the Lord (Eph 6:10). Samson revealed his secret. His behavior was something like that which the Lord Jesus warned against in Matt 7:6.

16:20 His hair, the sign of his special relationship to God as a Nazirite, was gone, and it seems that at first he was not aware of it. But with it went the special relationship that alone had made him strong. He had knowingly betrayed himself and his relationship to God into the hands of the enemy, and now paid the price of his betrayal. He sold his strength for pleasure with a sinful woman – not the last to do so. For example, both David and Solomon failed in the same way. 16:21 See Prov 5:7-11; 7:21-27. Samson’s story is an illustration, one of the saddest in the Bible, of how far even a man dedicated to God’s service may fall. Sexual sin alone brought the mighty “warrior” of 15:14,15 down to the pathetic wreck of this verse. Lust had found another victim to add to its long list of ruined men – see notes at 2 Sam 11:1; 1 Kings 11:1. The Bible tells things as they are and does not make its heroes to be sinless and perfect. Notes at Gen 9:21; 12:13; 27:18-26; Ex 32:2-4; Num 20:12; 2 Sam 11:1; Matt 26:69-75. 16:23,24 “Dagon” – 1 Sam 5:1-12. This is another sad result of the sin and fall of any of God’s servants – the true God is thought

JUDGES 16:24 320

24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, “Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the destroyer of our country, who killed many of us.”

And there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse and also spoke about in my hearing, look, the silver is with me. I took it.”

25 And it came about, while their hearts were in good spirits, that they said, “Call for Samson, so that he may amuse us.” And they called for Samson from the prison house, and he was an amusement for them. And they placed him between the pillars.

And his mother said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my son.”

3 And he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a cast idol. So now I will give it back to you.”

26 And Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars the temple is resting on, so that I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof, who were watching as Samson was being an amusement for them.

4 So when he returned the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, who made a carved image and a cast metal idol with it. And they were in Micah’s house.

28 And Samson called out to the LORD and said, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I pray you, just this once, O God, so that at once I may have revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 And Samson took hold of the two central pillars on which the temple rested and by which it was held up, the one pillar with his right hand and the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And he bowed down with all his might, and the temple collapsed on the lords and on all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life.

5 And the man Micah had a shrine for the gods, and he made an ephod and household idols and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

7 And there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, among the family of Judah, who was a Levite and was staying there. 8 And the man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to live where he could find a place. And as he travelled he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 And Micah said to him, “Where are you coming from?”

31 Then his brothers and all the household of his father came down, took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial place of Manoah his father. And he had judged Israel for twenty years.

And he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to stay wherever I can find a place.”

10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and

prophet Micah lived several hundred years after this one. 17:2 “Eleven hundred shekels” – about 13 kilograms.

to be weak and His name is dishonored, and often false gods are praised. Compare 1 Chron 10:8-10. 16:25 “Amuse us” – the Hebrew word here indicates something that produces mocking laughter. What can be sadder than a mighty man of God made a spectacle for ridicule to the ungodly? 16:28 Though this prayer was offered from a bad motive (personal vengeance), God heard it. If God waited till His people’s prayers were absolutely pure and selfless before answering, how many answers would they ever get? But God is compassionate and remembers we are but dust (Ps 103:13,14). 16:30 Note at 14:4. 16:31 Samson is listed with the great heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, his sins and failings passed over. Compare 4:8; Ps 103:10-14; Isa 44:22; Micah 7:18,19.

“Curse” – Micah’s mother probably pronounced a curse on whoever stole the money, and he was afraid disaster would come on him. She immediately pronounces a blessing on him, thinking this would counteract the curse. 17:3 Making idols in the name of Jehovah God who had forbidden all idolatry (Ex 20:4,5,23)! This is the sort of thing that happened when “every one did what was right in his own eyes” (v 6), and did not do what was right in the Lord’s eyes. 17:5 “Ephod” – 8:27; Ex 28:6. “Priest” – another violation of the law. Only descendants of Aaron were to be priests (Ex 28:1; 29:9). 17:6 Note at 21:25. 17:7 “Levite” – note on Levites at Num 1:51. 17:10 “Father” – here used as a word of respect (2 Kings 2:12; 6:21; 13:14).

“Judged” – may also be translated “led.” 17:1 “Micah” – a shortened form of Micaiah which means “who is like Jah (Jehovah)?” It was a common name in Israel. The

“Ten shekels” – about 110 grams.

321 JUDGES 18:16

be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver yearly and a set of clothes and your food.” So the Levite went in.

7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people who were there, how they lived carelessly, just like the Sidonians, quiet and carefree. And there was no ruler in the land who might humiliate them in any way. And they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with anyone.

11 And the Levite was content to stay with the man; and to him the young man was like one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”

8 And the Danites came to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brethren said to them, “What do you say?”

9 And they said, “Arise, let’s go up against them; for we saw the land, and, look, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Don’t hesitate to go and enter to take possession of the land. 10 When you go, you will come to a carefree people, and to a spacious land; for God has given it into your hands. It is a place where there is no lack of anything on earth.”

In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was looking for an inheritance for themselves to live in; for to that day no inheritance had fallen to them among the tribes of Israel. 2 And the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, brave men from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go, explore the land.” When they came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim, they spent the night there.

11 And six hundred men of the family of the Danites, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and from Eshtaol. 12 And they went up and camped in Kirjath-Jearim, in Judah. Therefore they call that place Mahaneh-Dan to this day. Look, it is west of Kirjath-Jearim. 13 And they went from there to the hill country of Ephraim and arrived at the house of Micah.

3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place ? What do you have here?”

14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish, responded and said to their brethren, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod and household gods and a carved image and a cast metal idol? So now consider what you have to do.” 15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, to Micah’s house, and greeted him. 16 And the six hundred men who were of the children of Dan, armed with their weapons of war, stood by

4 And he said to them, “Micah has done such and such for me and has hired me, and I am his priest.”

5 And they said to him, “Please ask counsel from God, so that we may know whether our journey, which we are going on, will be successful.”

6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. Your journey which you are going on is in the LORD’s presence.”

18:3 “Levite” – they either knew him before or recognized from his accent or speech that he was not a native of Ephraim. 18:5 God had already revealed where the tribe of Dan should be (Josh 19:40-46. Note at Josh 14:2). It was up to them to trust God to enable them to take all the territory allotted to them, and not to run away from it. It is never good for anyone to try to escape from the place where God has placed him (or her). 18:6 He did not know whether or not the Lord approved. He told them what they wanted to hear, and he used God’s name in vain. 18:7 Laish is the same as the Leshem of Josh 19:47. It was about 160 kilometers from where they started. The Sidonians were to the west on the Mediterranean coast. 18:10 “Your hands” – sometimes, as in this case, men take what God has not put in their hands. 18:12 “Mahaneh-Dan” – this means “Dan’s camp.”

17:11 As with many in Christian circles so with this Levite – he was willing to work where the money was. God’s will and the principles of God’s Word didn’t enter into his decision (vs 19,20). Alas, that there should be any Christian workers who hire themselves out to the highest bidder! They should remember that he who pays the piper calls the tune. 17:13 Micah in his ignorance made three mistakes in his thinking – that God was pleased with his idols (vs 3,4), that God was pleased to have all Levites as priests (v 5), and that God would bless him merely because of what someone else was and did. If the Lord was good to Micah it was in spite of these things, not because of them. 18:1 The tribe of Dan had been allotted a small territory west of Ephraim and Judah which extended to the Mediterranean coast (Josh 19:40-46). However, they had not been able to possess all of their inheritance (1:34). 18:2 “Zorah” – 13:2.

JUDGES 18:17 322

the entrance of the gate. 17 And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, entered there, and took the carved image and the ephod and the household gods and the cast idol. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war.

valley that lies near Beth-Rehob. And they built a city and lived in it.

29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of their father Dan, who was born to Israel. But at first the name of the city was Laish. 30 And the children of Dan set up the carved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 And they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he had made. It was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

18 And these went into Micah’s house and brought out the carved image, the ephod and the household gods and the cast metal idol. Then the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”

19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet! Put your hand on your mouth, and go with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the house of one man, or to be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?” 20 And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went among the people. 21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the valuables before them.

And it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that a certain Levite staying in a remote place in the hill country of Ephraim, took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 And his concubine acted like a prostitute against him and went away from him to her father’s house to Bethlehem in Judah, and was there for four whole months. 3 And her husband arose and went after her to speak to her in a friendly way and to bring her back. He had his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys. And she brought him into her father’s house; and when the girl’s father saw him, he was glad to meet him. 4 And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, pressed him to stay, and he remained with him for three days. So they ate and drank and spent the nights there.

22 And when they were some distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together, and caught up with the children of Dan. 23 And they shouted to the children of Dan. And they turned their faces and said to Micah, “What’s wrong with you, that you come with such a crowd?”

24 And he said, “You have taken away my gods, which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. And what else do I have? And what is this you say to me, ‘What’s wrong with you?’”

5 And it came about on the fourth day, when they got up early in the morning, that he rose up to leave, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a piece of bread, and afterwards go on your way.” 6 And they sat down, and the two of them ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Please be content to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.” 7 And when the man got up to leave, his fatherin-law urged him to stay. So he spent the night there again. 8 And he got up early in the morning on the fifth day to leave, and the girl’s father said, “Please refresh your heart.” And they waited until afternoon, and both of them ate.

25 And the children of Dan said to him, “Let not your voice be heard among us, or else some angry fellows will rush at you, and you will lose your life, with the lives of your household.” 26 And the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.

27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest he had, and came to Laish, to a people at peace and carefree, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no one to save them, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. And it was in the

9 And when the man got up to leave, he, and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law,

18:17 17:3; 21:25. 18:20 “Glad” – note at 17:11. 18:24 “Taken away my gods” – compare Gen 31:30,53. “What else do I have” – a sad, pathetic thing for a man of Israel to say. Israel was the nation in covenant relationship with the one true God. And it is a sad thing that some people still have nothing but idols and priests, for this means they have nothing at all. 18:25 They were willing to break another of God’s laws and murder fellow Israelites for

the sake of idols! 21:25. It is not surprising that Dan later became a center of idolatry – 1 Kings 12:28-30. 18:30 “Manasseh” – because the priest who went with the Danites was a Levite, and because Gershom was the name of one of the sons of Moses, some scholars seem quite certain that this should read “Moses” and not Manasseh, but there is no proof for this, and the best Hebrew manuscripts have “Manassah.” 18:31 “Shiloh” – Josh 18:1; 1 Sam 1:3. 19:1 21:27.

323 JUDGES 19:30

the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, now the day is drawing toward evening. Please stay all night. See, daylight is coming to an end. Spend the night here and let your heart be merry. And tomorrow get away early on your journey to your home.” 10 But the man would not stay that night, but he rose up and left, and came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem. And with him there were two saddled donkeys. His concubine also was with him.

20 And the old man said, “Peace be with you. However, I will see to all your needs. Only do not spend the night in the street.” 21 So he brought him into his house and gave fodder to the donkeys. And they washed their feet and ate and drank.

22 Now while they were making their hearts merry, suddenly some men of the city, wicked scoundrels, surrounded the house and pounded on the door and spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, “Bring out the man who has come into your house, so that we can know him.”

11 By the time they were near Jebus, daylight was almost over, and the servant said to his master, “Please come and let us turn into this city of the Jebusites and spend the night in it.”

23 And the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren, please, no! Don’t do such a wicked thing, since this man has come into my house, do not do this foolish thing. 24 Look, here is my daughter, a virgin, and his concubine. I will bring them out now, and you can humble them and do with them whatever seems good to you. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”

12 And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside here into the city of strangers who are not of the children of Israel. We will go on to Gibeah.” 13 And he said to his servant, “Come on, and let us try to reach one of these places to spend all night: Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 And they passed on by and went on their way. And when they came near Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, the sun set. 15 And they turned aside there to go in and spend the night in Gibeah. And when he went into the city, he sat down in a street, for no one took them into his house to spend the night.

25 But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning, and when day began to dawn they let her go. 26 Then the woman came at the dawn of day and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, until it was light.

16 And then an old man came in the evening from his work out of the field, which was also in the hill country of Ephraim. He was living in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17 And when he raised his eyes, he saw a traveller in the street of the city. And the old man said, “Where are you going? And where are you coming from?”

27 And her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way; and there was the woman, his concubine, fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were on the threshold. 28 And he said to her, “Get up, and let us be going.” But no one answered. Then the man lifted her up onto a donkey, and the man rose up and went to his place.

18 And he said to him, “We are passing through from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote place in the hill country of Ephraim, where I come from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD. And no one has taken me to his house. 19 Yet there is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also there is bread and wine for me and for your maid servant and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of any thing.”

29 And when he came into his house, he grasped a knife and took hold of his concubine and divided her into twelve pieces, along with her bones, and sent her into all the territories of Israel. 30 And it came about that all who saw it said, “No such deed has been done or seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt

fenseless women to these vile men, even to save the life of the Levite. 19:25 The Levite was willing to sacrifice the woman to save himself. Such is the way men may behave when they do only as they see fit. 19:28 “Get up” – these words reveal no love, no sympathy, no basic human concern for the woman he had condemned to terrible abuse. This is the kind of character that develops when people do what is right in their own eyes, and not what is right in God’s eyes. 19:29 “Israel” – compare 1 Sam 11:7. The Levite chose this startling way to inform the tribes of what had taken place, doubtless with the hope that they would take vengeance

19:10 1:21; 2 Sam 5:6,7. 19:12 “Gibeah” – this Gibeah was in Benjamin, a short distance north of Jerusalem. There were two other Gibeahs, one in Judah, one in Ephraim. 19:15 “No one took them into his house” – this was contrary to the custom of the times. Compare 6:18,19; 13:15; Heb 13:2. 19:18 “House of the LORD” – 18:31. 19:22 Notes at Gen 19:4,5. These men were Israelites who had picked up the vile ways of the Canaanites – Lev 18:22,24. By their actions they were grinding God’s law beneath their unholy feet. 19:23 Compare Gen 19:7; Rom 1:26,27. 19:24 Note at Gen 19:8. Surely it was also a disgraceful thing for this man to offer de-

JUDGES 20:1 324

to this day. Think about it, take advice, and speak your minds.”

vileness that they have committed in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united as one man.

Then all the children of Israel came out from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead. The congregation was gathered together to the LORD as one man in Mizpeh. 2 And the leaders of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew sword. 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpeh.) Then the children of Israel said, “Tell us. How did this wickedness happen?”

12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through the whole tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that has been done among you? 13 Now therefore deliver to us the men, the wicked scoundrels who are in Gibeah, so that we can put them to death and put away evil from Israel.” But the children of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel, 14 but the children of Benjamin gathered together from the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the children of Israel. 15 And at that time the children of Benjamin from the cities were counted, twenty-six thousand men who drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were counted as seven hundred choice men. 16 Among all this people seven hundred choice men were lefthanded. Each one could sling stones at a hair and not miss.

4 And the Levite, the husband of the woman who had been killed, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me and at night surrounded the house where I was, intending to kill me. And they forced my concubine so that she died. 6 And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout the whole country of the inheritance of Israel, for they have committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. 7 Look, you are all children of Israel. Give here your advice and counsel.”

17 And besides Benjamin, the men of Israel were counted, four hundred thousand men who drew sword. All these were warriors.

18 And the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said, “Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?” And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.”

8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, “Not a one of us will go to his tent, nor will any of us return to his house. 9 But now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: we will cast lots and go up against it, 10 and we will take ten men out of a hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, so that when they arrive at Gibeah in Benjamin, they may deal with them in accordance with all the

19 And the children of Israel got up in the morning and camped against Gibeah. 20 And the men of Israel went out to the battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah. 21 And the children of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and that day destroyed twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites on the field. 22 And the people, the men of

on Gibeah. 20:1 “All the children of Israel” – that is, men from every section of the country from the far north to the far south (Dan to Beersheba). Only Jabesh Gilead was not represented (21:8,9).

21:1,5,6; Acts 5:1-11. Their stand shows that there was still some moral fiber left in the nation even in those dark times. 20:14 This was totally unreasonable. They mobilized to defend guilty men, violent sexual perverts and murderers who were worthy of death, simply because they were of the same tribe. This naturally resulted in a terrible disaster. Let us all understand that defending the guilty is sharing their guilt, and God will punish it. When evil people should be exposed and punished we must not cover up their evil deeds just because they are related to us. If we do, we cannot escape God’s judgment ourselves. See note on v 48. 20:16 “Sling stones” – 1 Sam 17:40. 20:18 “To the house of God” – in Hebrew “house of God” is one word – “Bethel”, and this phrase could be translated “to Bethel” (also v 26).

“Mizpeh” – there are several Mizpahs mentioned in the Bible, but this one was in Benjamin, not far from Gibeah. 20:9 “Cast lots” – a common practice among the Israelites – Josh 7:14; 18:6; 1 Sam 14:41,42; 1 Chron 24:5. 20:10 “Deal with them in accordance with all the vileness” – what they deserved was death – v 13. See note at Ex 21:36. 20:13 “Put away evil” – compare Deut 13:5; 17:7; 19:19,20. Possibly they had in mind what happened in Israel when one man sinned in Joshua’s day and the whole of Israel suffered for it (Joshua chapter 7). They realized that to avoid God’s punishment on themselves they had to do something about this terrible violation of God’s law. Notes at Josh 7:1,12,13,26; 2 Sam

“Asked counsel of God” – it seems they did not ask whether they should fight with Benjamin, only who should go to fight first.

325 JUDGES 20:46

Israel, encouraged themselves and again set their battle lines in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. 23 And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up again to fight against the children of Benjamin my brother?” And the LORD said, “Go up against him.”

their places, out of the meadows of Gibeah. 34 And ten thousand choice men from all Israel came against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce, but the Benjamites did not know that disaster was near them. 35 And the LORD struck down Benjamin before Israel; and that day the children of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand one hundred men of the Benjamites. All these were swordsmen.

24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day. 25 And Benjamin went out against them from Gibeah the second day, and again destroyed eighteen thousand men of the children of Israel on the field. All these were swordsmen.

36 So the children of Benjamin saw that they were defeated; for the men of Israel gave ground to the Benjamites, because they trusted those who were waiting in the ambush they had placed near Gibeah, 37 and those who had been in ambush quickly rushed on Gibeah. And those who had been in ambush spread out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the arranged sign between the men of Israel and those who had been in ambush, was that they should make a great cloud of smoke rise up from the city. 39 And when the men of Israel drew back from the battle, Benjamin began to strike down and kill about thirty of the men of Israel, for they said, “No doubt they are being struck down before us, just as in the first battle.” 40 But when the cloud began to rise up from the city like a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the cloud from the city rising up to the sky. 41 And when the men of Israel turned back, the men of Benjamin were alarmed, for they saw that disaster had come upon them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs on the men of Israel toward the wilderness road. But the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them between them. 43 In this way they surrounded the Benjamites and chased them and easily trampled them down opposite Gibeah toward the sunrise. 44 And eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell. All these were brave men. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness toward the rock of Rimmon. And they picked off five thousand of them in the highways, and pursued the rest of them to Gidom and killed two thousand of them.

26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up and came to the house of God, and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 27 And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I again go out to fight against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I stop?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”

29 And Israel set an ambush around Gibeah. 30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times. 31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and, as at other times, they began to strike down and kill some of the people, about thirty men of Israel, in the highways, one of which went up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah and in the field.

32 And the children of Benjamin said, “They are being struck down before us, just like at first.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us run away and draw them from the city into the highways.”

33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and put themselves in array at Baal-Tamar, and those of Israel waiting in ambush came out of

46 So that the total number of the Benjamites who fell that day was twenty-five thousand

20:23 A different and humbler question than that of v 18. The Lord sent them, but it resulted in further great bloodshed and defeat (v 24). It seems that God was using the occasion to punish all Israel, or at least to teach them some severe lessons. This is not stated in this chapter, but there is enough reason in other parts of Judges to cause us to think so. 20:26 They humbled themselves still further to seek the Lord and He heard them.

Phinehas that was the priest in the days of Joshua (Josh 22:13), the events of these last three chapters took place not long after Joshua’s death.

“Your hand” – God had not told them this before. 20:35 Even with a numerical superiority of 15 to 1 (vs 15,17), it was the Lord who had to give them the victory. No doubt the Benjamites were fierce and skillful fighters, but it is probable also that they had less reluctance to kill their fellow Israelites than their fellow Israelites had to kill them. But at last almost the whole of the armed men

“Offerings” – notes at Leviticus chapters 1-3. 20:28 “Phinehas” – if this is the same

JUDGES 20:47 326

swordsmen. All these were brave men. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock Rimmon, and stayed at the rock Rimmon for four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned back on the children of Benjamin, and struck them down with the edge of the sword, both the men of every city and the cattle and all that was encountered. They also set on fire all the cities that they came to.

women and the children. 11 And this is what you must do: utterly destroy every male and every woman that has lain with a man.” 12 And they found four hundred young virgins among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead who had not known a man by lying with him. And they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13 And the whole congregation sent some men to speak to the children of Benjamin who were at the rock Rimmon, and to proclaim peace to them. 14 And at that time Benjamin came out again; and they gave to them in marriage those women of Jabesh Gilead whom they had saved alive. But still they were not sufficient for them.

Now the men of Israel had made an oath in Mizpeh, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.”

2 And the people came to the house of God, and stayed there until evening before God and raised their voices and wept bitterly. 3 And they said, “O LORD God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”

15 And the people were grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a gap in the tribes of Israel. 16 Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do about wives for those who are left, since the women in Benjamin have been destroyed?” 17 And they said, “There must be an inheritance for those of Benjamin who have escaped, so that a tribe of Israel is not destroyed. 18 However, we must not give them our daughters in marriage, for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives anyone in marriage to Benjamin.’” 19 Then they said, “Look, there is an annual feast of the LORD in Shiloh in a place to the north of Bethel, to the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and to the south of Lebonah.”

4 And it came about the next day that the people rose early and built there an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5 And the children of Israel said, “Among all the tribes of Israel who is there who did not come up with the congregation to the LORD?” For they had made a great oath concerning the one who did not come to Mizpeh to the LORD, saying, “He shall surely be put to death.”

6 And the children of Israel were grieved for Benjamin their brother and said, “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel. 7 What shall we do about wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them our daughters in marriage?” 8 And they said, “Which of the tribes of Israel did not come up to Mizpeh to the LORD?” And, lo and behold, no one from JabeshGilead had come to the camp for the assembly. 9 For the people were numbered, and, lo and behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead were there.

20 So they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards 21 and watch, and when the daughters of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and each man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22 And it shall come about, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, ‘Do this favour to them for our sakes; because we did not take a wife for each man in battle. And you did not give wives to them at this time, that you should be guilty.’”

10 And the congregation sent twelve thousand of the bravest men there and commanded them, saying, “Go and strike down the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the

23 And the children of Benjamin did so, and

of Benjamin were destroyed. 20:48 Because of the sin of a few vile men in Gibeah and the senseless defense of them by the Benjamites, more than 65,000 men lost their lives (vs 21,25,35), Gibeah and other cities were destroyed with their population of many thousands more (vs 37,48), and a whole tribe was almost obliterated (v 47; 21:3). Is not the defense of wickedness a very costly matter? The reason it is so costly is this: those who defend wickedness share in the guilt of those they defend and will have God fighting against them. 21:1 Note on vows at 11:30,31. This one had a curse on anyone who broke it (v 18).

21:2 “The people came to the house of God” – or “the people went to Bethel.” 21:2-4 Verses 6,15. The experience of civil war resulted in some brokenness of spirit – a flower that blossomed from the muck of the occasion, great good in the midst of a terrible disaster (compare Ps 51:17). 21:5 “Death” – they considered that failing to do one’s duty in that time of crisis was as worthy of death as the defense of wickedness. Compare 5:23; 8:15-17. 21:10,11 This was in fulfillment of the vow of v 5. 21:18 Verse 1. 21:21 “Shiloh” – this was in the territory of Ephraim.

327 JUDGES 21:25

they caught some of those who were dancing and took wives for themselves, according to their number. And they went away and returned to their inheritance and repaired the cities and lived in them.

24 And the children of Israel left there at that time, each man to his tribe and to his family, and each man left there and went to his inheritance.

25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

authority and restraint now will behave as people did then.

21:25 “Right in his own eyes” – they had no earthly king and did not submit to their heavenly King. They forsook the Word of God, did not bow to its authority, and did as they pleased. The result was the events recorded in this book of Judges. This is one of the saddest accounts of human failure in the Bible, indeed in the whole literature of the world. It is a story of failure we see anytime, anywhere when men do as they see fit instead of doing as God sees fit. Human nature has not improved since the days of Judges and those who cast off

But in the gloom of these final words of the book and in the darkness of the times let us not forget the bright beams of faith that shone here and there. Four persons from Judges are named among the heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 – more than from any other book except Genesis. And in the midst of the sinful behavior of His people, God’s grace and compassion and mercy shine even brighter than they otherwise might have done.

RUTH

Author and date:

Ancient Jewish tradition indicates Samuel as the author, but there is no proof either for or against this, and there is no certainty about the time of writing.

Themes:

One theme is the kindness and love between individuals and the resulting rewards. Another theme is how a foreign woman joined the people of Israel by faith in the one true God and became an important person in their history, an ancestress of king David and the Lord Jesus Christ. Another theme is the office of kinsman-redeemer. The kinsman-redeemer is a type or picture of Christ. See the note at 2:20. This redeemer had to be a blood relative. Christ our Redeemer became man (Heb 2:9-18), and so our relative. The kinsman-redeemer had to have enough means to purchase a person’s lost possession (Ruth 4:2-10). Christ alone was able to pay the price of redemption for us (Ps 49:7-9; 1 Pet 1:18,19). The kinsman-redeemer had to be willing to pay the price of redemption (Ruth 4:4,6,9). Christ was willing to pay the price for us (Matt 20:28; John 10:11,17,18). The kinsman-redeemer had to be willing to marry the wife of the dead relative. In a spiritual sense Christ fulfills this also. See Rom 7:1-4.

Contents :

A Jewish family tragedy ................................................................................ 1:1-5 Ruth chooses Naomi and Naomi’s God ............................................................. 1:6-18 Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem ............................................................... 1:19-22 Ruth in the fields of Boaz .............................................................................. 2:1-23 Naomi makes plans for Ruth .......................................................................... 3:1-6 Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer ......................................................................... 3:7-18 Boaz buys back the lost possession

and marries Ruth ................................................................................ 4:1-13 Ruth becomes the ancestress of king David..................................................... 4:13-21

↑ Back to top