Numbers 10:19 Komentář

In this chapter we have, I. Orders given about the making and using of silver trumpets, which seems to have been the last of all the commandments God gave upon mount Sinai, and one of the least, yet not without its significancy (Num 10:1-10). II. The history of the removal of Israel's camp from mount Sinai, and their orderly march into the wilderness of Paran (v. 11-28). III. Moses's treaty with Hobab, his brother-in-law (Num 10:29-32). IV. Moses's prayer at the removing and resting of the ark (Num 10:33, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 10 This chapter gives an account of the directions given for making two silver trumpets, and of the use of them, the ends and purposes for which they were to be made, Num 10:1; and of the time of taking up of the cloud from the tabernacle, and of the removal of the camp of Israel from the wilderness of Sinai, and of the order of their march, Num 10:11; when Moses most earnestly passed Hobab, his brother in law, to continue with him, Num 10:29; and the chapter is closed with the prayer of Moses at the setting forward of the ark, and the resting of it, Num 10:33.

And the Kohathites set forward,.... After the standard of the camps of Reuben, and between that and the standard of the camp of Ephraim, to, which there is an allusion in Psa 80:2, bearing the sanctuary, or the holy things, as Jarchi; the ark, as Aben Ezra; though not that only, which indeed might be eminently called so, it standing in the most holy place, over which were the mercy seat and cherubim, the residence of the divine Majesty; but all the holy things in the holy place, the candlestick, shewbread table, and the two altars, the altar of incense in the holy place, and the altar of burnt offerings in the court these they bore on their shoulders, and had no wagons allowed for their assistance: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came; that is, the sons of Gershon and Merari, who went before between the standard of Judah and the standard of Reuben, carrying the heavier and more cumbersome parts of the tabernacle; which, when Judah pitched their tents, at the signal of the cloud, they immediately put together, and erected, and got it ready, by such time as the Kohathites came up to them, that so the ark and other holy things might be at once put into it, and set in their proper places.

Moses is commanded to make a second set of tables, Deu 10:1, Deu 10:2. He makes an ark, prepares the two tables, God writes on them the ten commandments, and Moses lays them up in the ark, Deu 10:3-5. The Israelites journey from Beeroth to Mosera, where Aaron dies, Deu 10:6; and from thence to Gudgodah and Jotbath, Deu 10:7. At that time God separated the tribe of Levi for the service of the sanctuary, Deu 10:8, Deu 10:9. How long Moses stayed the second time in the mount, Deu 10:10, Deu 10:11. What God requires of the Israelites, Deu 10:12-15. Their heart must be circumcised, Deu 10:16. God's character and conduct, Deu 10:17, Deu 10:18. They are commanded to love the stranger, Deu 10:19; to fear, love, and serve God, Deu 10:20, because he had done such great things for them and their fathers, Deu 10:21, Deu 10:22.

THE USE OF THE SILVER TRUMPETS. (Num. 10:1-36) Make thee two trumpets of silver--These trumpets were of a long form, in opposition to that of the Egyptian trumpets, with which the people were convened to the worship of Osiris and which were curved like rams' horns. Those which Moses made, as described by JOSEPHUS and represented on the arch of Titus, were straight, a cubit or more in length, the tubes of the thickness of a flute. Both extremities bore a close resemblance to those in use among us. They were of solid silver--so as, from the purity of the metal, to give a shrill, distinct sound; and there were two of them, probably because there were only two sons of Aaron; but at a later period the number was greatly increased (Jos 6:8; Ch2 5:12). And although the camp comprehended 2,500,000 of people, two trumpets would be quite sufficient, for sound is conveyed easily through the pure atmosphere and reverberated strongly among the valleys of the Sinaitic hills.

The Silver Signal-Trumpets. - Although God Himself appointed the time for removal and encampment by the movement of the cloud of His presence, signals were also requisite for ordering and conducting the march of so numerous a body, by means of which Moses, as commander-in-chief, might make known his commands to the different divisions of the camp. To this end God directed him to prepare two silver trumpets of beaten work (mikshah, see Exo 25:18), which should serve "for the calling of the assembly, and for the breaking up of the camps," i.e., which were to be used for this purpose. The form of these trumpets is not further described. No doubt they were straight, not curved, as we may infer both from the representation of these trumpets on the triumphal arch of Titus at Rome, and also from the fact, that none but straight trumpets occur on the old Egyptian monuments (see my Arch. ii. p. 187). With regard to the use of them for calling the congregation, the following directions are given in Num 10:3, Num 10:4 : "When they shall blow with them (i.e., with both), the whole congregation (in all its representatives) shall assemble at the door of the tabernacle; if they blow with only one, the princes or heads of the families of Israel shall assemble together."