Bibelkommentare

Moses is commanded to make two silver trumpets for calling the assembly, Numbers 10:1, Numbers 10:2. On what occasions these trumpets should be sounded. First, for calling the assembly to the door of the tabernacle, Numbers 10:3. Secondly, to summon the princes and captains of the thousands of Israel, Numbers 10:4. Thirdly, to make the eastern camps strike their tents, Numbers 10:5. Fourthly, to make those on the south do the like, Numbers 10:6. No alarm to be sounded when the congregation only is to be assembled, Numbers 10:7. The sons of Aaron alone shall sound these trumpets, it shall be a perpetual ordinance, Numbers 10:8. Fifthly, the trumpets are to be sounded in the time of war, Numbers 10:9. Sixthly, on festival occasions, Numbers 10:10 On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, the Israelites began their journey from the wilderness of Sinai, and came to the wilderness of Paran, Numbers 10:11, Numbers 10:12. By the commandment of God to Moses the first division, at the head of which was the standard of Judah, marched, first, Numbers 10:13, Numbers 10:14. Under him followed the tribe of Issachar, Numbers 10:15; and after them the tribe of Zebulun, Numbers 10:16. Then the Gershonites and Merarites followed with the tabernacle, Numbers 10:17. At the head of the second division was the standard and camp of Reuben, Numbers 10:18; and under him were that of Simeon, Numbers 10:19; and that of Gad, Numbers 10:20. Next followed the Kohathites bearing the sanctuary, Numbers 10:21. Then followed the third division, at the head of which was the standard of the camp of Ephraim, Numbers 10:22; and under him Manasseh, Numbers 10:23; and Benjamin, Numbers 10:24. At the head of the fourth division was the standard of the camp of Dan, Numbers 10:25; and under him Asher, Numbers 10:26; and Naphtali, Numbers 10:27. This was their ordinary method of marching in the wilderness, Numbers 10:28. Moses entreats Hobab the Midianite to accompany them through the wilderness, Numbers 10:29. He refuses, Numbers 10:30. Moses continues and strengthens his entreaties with reasonings and promises, Numbers 10:31, Numbers 10:32. They depart from Sinai three days' journey, Numbers 10:33. The cloud accompanies them by day and night, Numbers 10:34. The words used by Moses when the ark set forward, Numbers 10:35, and when it rested, Numbers 10:36.

Make thee two trumpets of silver - The necessity of such instruments will at once appear, when the amazing extent of this numerous army is considered; and how even the sound of two trumpets could reach them all is difficult to conceive; but we may suppose that, when they were sounded, the motion of those that were within reach of that sound taught the others in succession what they should do.

As the trumpets were to be blown by the priests only, the sons of Aaron, there were only two, because there were only two such persons to use them at this time, Eleazar and Ithamar. In the time of Joshua there were seven trumpets used by the priests, but these were made, according to our text, of rams' horns, Joshua 6:4. In the time of Solomon, when the priests had greatly increased, there were 120 priests sounding with trumpets, 2 Chronicles 5:12.

Josephus intimates that one of these trumpets was always used to call the nobles together, the other to assemble the people; see Numbers 10:4. It is possible that these trumpets were made of different lengths and wideness, and consequently they would emit different tones. Thus the sound itself would at once show which was the summons for the congregation, and which for the princes only. These trumpets were allowed to be emblematical of the sound of the Gospel, and in this reference they appear to be frequently used. Of the fate of the trumpets of the sanctuary, See the note on Exodus 25:31.

When ye blow an alarm - תרועה teruah, probably meaning short, broken, sharp tones, terminating with long ones, blown with both the trumpets at once. From the similarity in the words some suppose that the Hebrew teruah was similar to the Roman taratantara, or sound of their clarion.

When ye blow an alarm the second time - A single alarm, as above stated, was a signal for the eastward division to march; two such alarms, the signal for the south division; and probably three for the west division, and four for the north. It is more likely that this was the case, than that a single alarm served for each, with a small interval between them. The camps, or grand divisions of this great army, always lay, as we have already seen, to the east, south, west, and north: and here the east and south camps alone are mentioned; the first containing Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; the second, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. The west and north divisions are not named, and yet we are sure they marched in consequence of express orders or signals, as well as the other two. There appears therefore a deficiency here in the Hebrew text, which is thus supplied by the Septuagint: Και σαλπιειτε σημασιαν τριτην, και εξαρουσιν αἱ παρεμβολαι αἱ παρεμβαλλουσαι παρα θαλασσαν· και σαλπιειτε σημασιαν τεταρτην, και εξαρουσιν αἱ παρεμβολαι αἱ παρεμβαλλουσαι προς βορῥαν. "And when ye blow a third alarm or signal, the camps on the west shall march: and when ye blow a fourth alarm or signal, the camps on the north shall march." This addition, however, is not acknowledged by the Samaritan, nor by any of the other versions but the Coptic. Nor are there any various readings in the collections of Kennicott and De Rossi, which countenance the addition in the above versions. Houbigant thinks this addition so evidently necessary, that he has inserted the Latin in his text, and in a note supplied the Hebrew words, and thinks that these words were originally in the Hebrew text, but happened to be omitted in consequence of so many similar words occurring so often in the same verse, which might dazzle and deceive the eye of a transcriber.

If ye go to war - These trumpets shall be sounded for the purpose of collecting the people together, to deliberate about the war, and to implore the protection of God against their enemies.

Ye shall be remembered before the Lord - When ye decamp, encamp, make war, and hold religious festivals, according to his appointment, which appointment shall be signified to you by the priests, who at the command of God, for such purposes, shall blow the trumpets, then ye may expect both the presence and blessing of Jehovah in all that ye undertake.

In the day of your gladness - On every festival the people shall be collected by the same means.

The twentieth day of the second month - The Israelites had lain encamped in the wilderness of Sinai about eleven months and twenty days; compare Exodus 19:1 with this verse. They now received the order of God to decamp, and proceed towards the promised land; and therefore the Samaritan introduces at this place the words which we find in Deuteronomy 1:6-8 : "The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying: Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount, turn and take your journey," etc.

The cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran - This was three days' journey from the wilderness of Sinai, (see Numbers 10:33), and the people had three stations; the first at Kibroth-hattaavah, the second at Hazeroth, Numbers 11:35, and the third in the wilderness of Paran, see Numbers 12:16. But it is extremely difficult to determine these journeyings with any degree of exactness; and we are often at a loss to know whether the place in question was in a direct or retrograde position from the place previously mentioned.