here again when we thought we had been at the end of our Travels At this rate we shall never get out Whereupon he presently smote the Rock twice in a fume whereas God bad him only speak to it v. 8. To sanctifie me in the Eyes of the Children of Israel i. e. Openly to assert me to be the holy One of Israel faithful to my Promises as well as infinite in Power of which they had given the Israelites occasion to doubt by declaring some distrust of what God said to them v. 8. For these words plainly show that their Sin did not consist only in an inward Diffidence but in such outward Expressions of it in their Anger and Impatience as might be apt to breed Unbelief in the Israelites who were already too prone thereunto And it is no improbable Conjecture of a Jewish Doctor in his Book of the Death of Moses that the Divine Glory not appearing now upon this Rock as it did at Horeb XVII Exod. 6. which perhaps they expected it gave some occasion to their Unbelief Which he thinks was not so great a Sin in it self as to have deserved the following Punishment had not God in passing this Sentence had a respect to the Excellency and Dignity of their Persons in whom a Fault of this Nature was far more grievous than in an ordinary Man Therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the Land which I have given them They brought them into the Land of Sihon and of Og but not into Canaan which was properly the Land promised to them Verse 13 Ver. 13. This is the Water of Meribah Called Meribah-kadesh XXXII Deut. 51. to distinguish it from that Meribah mentioned XVII Exod. 7. where the Israelites were guilty of the same Crime Because the Children of Israel strove with the LORD Expostulated with him most undutifully and accused him of unkindness to them v. 3 4. And he was sanctified in them The Hebrew Doctors differ very much in their Opinions about this also Whether he was sanctified in the Waters or in the People of Israel or in Moses and Aaron Some fancy it is meant of the Waters viz. that God did himself great honour in bringing Waters again out of a Rock and therefore the Name of the place was called Kadesh from his being sanctified there Thus Chaskuni But it seems to have been called so before this being a place well known to the Edomites v. 16. The common Opinion is that he speaks of Moses and Aaron for God's Name saith R. Solomon is much revered when he doth not spare even his holy Ones X Lev. 3. But Nachmanides expounds it of the Israelites before whose face as he expounds sanctified in them God's Power and Faithfulness and Goodness appeared and who alone are mentioned in this verse not Moses and Aaron But all three Opinions in the Issue concur in this one that God made his Power c. appear in the Eyes of all the Israelites by bringing Water out of a Rock and at the same time demonstrated his Holiness and impartial Justice in punishing his greatest Friends for their Unbelief Ver. 14. And Moses sent Messengers By God's Verse 14 order as his words seem to import in II Deut. 2 3 4. From Kadesh On the Confines of the King of Edom's Country Vnto the King of Edom. When the Israelites came out of Egypt Moses speaks of Edom as governed by Dukes XV Exod. 17. for the Sons of Esau at first had no higher Title XXXVI Gen. 15 c. Not long after it seems their Posterity became Kings and now Nine and thirty Years after the Israelites coming out of Egypt they were still under Kingly Government And this King to whom Moses now sends Messengers the great Primate of Ireland takes to have been Hadar the last of those that Moses mentions XXXVI Gen. 39. who for his Inhumanity to the Children of Israel was shortly after punished with Death and the Kingdom turned again into the Government by Dukes For Moses as he thinks writing the Book of Genesis in the latter end of his Life or then adding what was necessary to what he had written before reckons immediately after Hadar several Dukes reigning all at one time in several parts of the Country which they had shared among them See Vsser Chronolog Sacra cap. 11. Thus saith thy Brother Israel In the Language of those times all that were near of Kin called one another Brethren and these two Nations descended from two twin Brothers Thou knowest For they could not but have received Intelligence before this time of such publick things All the Travel that hath befaln us How we and our Fathers before us have travelled from place to place without any certain Habitation See CV Psalm 13. Verse 15 Ver. 15. How our Fathers After several Removals from one part of Canaan to another Went down into Egypt Which was so publick a thing they being invited by Pharaoh who sent Carriages for them that the Edomites could not be ignorant of it And we have dwelt in Egypt a long time See XII Exod. 40 41. and what I have observed there And the Egyptians vexed us and our Fathers See I Exod. 11 12 13 c. Verse 16 Ver. 16. And when we cried unto the LORD he heard our voice II Exod. 23 24 25. III. 7 8. And sent an Angel See III Exod. 2 c. Maimonides here by Angel understands Moses himself for the Prophets are sometimes called Angels i. e. Messengers sent from God II Judg. 1. This he asserts in the first part and more than once in the second part of More Nevochim but it is very unreasonable to think that Moses would thus magnifie himself to the King of Edom who understood not such Language and could not but be more moved to hearken to his Embassy if he believed the Israelites were under the Conduct of a heavenly Minister who as other Jews think was Michael the Prince of the heavenly Host whom they commonly understand by the Angel here mentioned But many great Men particularly Masius think this is short of the Truth unless we understand by Michael the Eternal Son of God who was as he speaks the perpetual Prince and Director of the People of God For though he was then properly made the Messenger of the Father when he took on him our Flesh and dwelt here among us yet from the beginning it was his constant care to reconcile Men to God and preserve Religion among them So that he might be called the Angel of God before he became a Man because God the Father by him communicated with Men about all things necessary for their Good And the Jews seem to have had some obscure Notion of this For what else could Moses Gerundensis mean when he saith the Angel whom Moses saw in the Bush was the same whom Jacob calls the God of Bethel and whom he calls the Angel Redeemer of whom Moses he saith speaks in this place and in VI Deut. 21.
bring forth a plentiful Crop XXXII Isa 20. There are those who refer both these to their numerous Posterity Procreation of Children being sometimes expressed in Scripture by the Metaphors of Waters and Fountains and Cisterns as every one knows And both the LXX and Onkelos interpret this of one particular Person that should arise of their Seed For thus the former of them renders this part of the verse There shall come a Man out of his Seed who shall rule over many Nations And the latter of them paraphrases in this manner There shall be a great King who shall be anointed of his Children and shall have Dominion over many People which the Hierusalem Targum saith expresly is Christ For thus this verse begins in that Paraphrase A King shall arise out of his Sons and their Redeemer from among them c. and thus concludes it and the Kingdom of the King Messias shall be magnificently exalted And his King shall be higher than Agag This seems to have been the Name of all the Kings of the Amalekites for we read of one called Agag long after this time 1 Sam. XV. 8 9. as Abimelech was the Name of the Philistine Kings and Pharaoh of the Egyptian And at this time no Nation thereabouts was in greater Reputation than the Amalekites v. 20. who thought themselves able to obstruct the Israelites passage into Canaan and gave a very early proof of the high opinion of their own Power and Prowess by attacking the Israelites as soon as they came out of Egypt Balaam therefore foretels the King of Israel should be the greatest of all other for he was acquainted with none higher than Agag which some think hath a peculiar respect to their first King Saul who subdued the Amalekites and took Agag captive But his Successor was far greater than he and the Jews themselves think this hath its full completion in the LORD Christ And his Kingdom shall be exalted They shall increase and multiply till their Kingdom be greatly enlarged as it was in the days of David and Solomon who were but Shadows of the great King MESSIAH Ver. 8. God brought him out of Egypt he hath as it Verse 8 were the strength of an Vnicorn All the power of Egypt could not detain them in slavery but they came out from thence with a strong and high hand XIII Exod. 9. XIV 8. and are grown a mighty People See the foregoing Chapter v. 22. where this hath been explained He shall eat up the Nations his Enemies Utterly destroy the seven Nations of Canaan And shall break their bones So that they shall never recover their Strength And pierce them through with his Arrows Having given them their deadly wound Or as some translate the Hebrew words break their Arrows in pieces i. e. quite disarm them Verse 9 Ver. 9. He couched he lay down He prophesies that the Israelites having conquered the Canaanites should settle in their Land and take their rest and live securely Which he speaks of with such confidence as if it were already done As a Lion and as a great Lion See XXIII 24. the signification of Ari and Labi Who shall stir him up Give them any disturbance It is observed of Lions that they do not betake themselves to remote or secret places when they go to sleep but lye down any where as Oppianus describes them Lib. III. as if they understood that let them sleep where they pleased no Body durst meddle with them See Bochartus in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. III. cap. 2. And therefore being applied to the Israelites signifies such an absolute and secure possession of the Land of Canaan that none should have the boldness to assault or give them any disquiet Which came to pass chiefly in the days of David and Solomon Blessed be he that blesseth thee and cursed is he that curseth thee These are the very words wherewith Isaac concluded his blessing of his Son Jocob XXVII Gen. 29. Which God now confirmed from the Mouth of one of their Enemies who spake at this time by his Spirit Ver. 10. And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam Verse 10 He could no longer forbear to express his Indignation to be thus treated by Balaam whom he had sent for a great way and entertained for some time and therefore stopt him from proceeding for the present any further in his Prophecy And smote his hands together A token of vehement Anger XXI Ezek. 17. And Balak said unto Balaam It is likely he was so full of Wrath that he could not speak presently but expressed it only in his Looks and Actions I called thee to curse mine Enemies and thou hast altogether blessed them Thou hast not said one word to my purpose but all quite contrary These three times Though I have been at great expence and built Altars and offered many Sacrifices in three several places But at what distance of time one from another doth not appear Ver. 11. Therefore now flee thou unto thy place Get Verse 11 thee home immediately and stay not a Moment longer here For that is imported in the word flee which indicates that he could not indure the sight of him while he remained thus angry And as he banished him his Presence so he commanded him to make all possible haste out of his Country I thought to promote thee to great honour And to bestow as much Wealth upon him as he desired which is included in the word honour XXII 17. But lo the LORD Whom thou pretendest to obey Hath kept thee back from honour By not permitting thee to comply with my desire It is uncertain whether these words were spoken in anger and scorn or seriously and in good earnest believing he was hindred by the LORD's will and pleasure from cursing Israel Which he had more reason to believe than he had to hope he might obtain liberty to curse them XXIII 27. and therefore was without all reason in this Passion against Balaam Verse 12 Ver. 12. And Balaam spake unto Balak Prayed Balak to hear him patiently a few words before he departed Spake I not also to thy Messengers which thou sentest unto me saying Did I not before I saw thee tell those that came to invite me to thee the very same which I told thee afterwards Verse 13 Ver. 13. If Balak would give me his House full of Gold and Silver I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD to do more or less So he told his Messengers XXII 18. Of my Mind According as I please But what the LORD saith that will I speak So he told Balak himself XXII 38. All which he recalls to his Mind to show him that there was no Cause for his Anger he having performed as much as he undertook which was to follow God's directions as he had done strictly And it is likely that by this just Representation of what had passed between them he brought Balak to a cooler temper so that he suffered him to go on
XXXIIId Chapter of this Book See v. 41 42. And pitched in Oboth Where it is probable they found Water of the want of which they complained See XX. 2. Ver. 11. And they journeyed from Oboth and pitched Verse 11 in Jie-Abarim Not that Mount Abarim where Moses died XXVII 12. but another place in the Confines of Moab as it here follows See what I have observed XX. 2. In the Wilderness which is before Moab Called the Wilderness of Moab II Deut. 8. Towards the Sun-rising On the East part of it as Jephthah observes a great many Years after this That they came by the East side of the Land of Moab XI Judges 18. Ver. 12. And from thence they removed As they Verse 12 were about to remove from this last place they received a Command from God not to meddle with the Country of Moab II Deut. 9. Which is the reason as Abarbinel observes that Moses here sets down briefly whence and whether they went and where they pitched that it might appear they did not transgress that Command And pitched in the Valley of Zared Or as some translate it in Nachal-Zared which is called Dibon-Gad XXXIII 45. For this place had two Names as the same Author observes and it was just eight and thirty Years since the Spies went up to Survey the Country from Kadesh-barnea till their passing this Brook as we translate it II Deut. 14. But I take Dibon-Gad rather to have been a place which lay upon the Brook Zered Ver. 13. And from thence they removed and pitched Verse 13 on the other side of Arnon The Hebrew word meheber may be translated on this side or on the other side And some think they were now on this side of the River and not yet gone over it Nor did they immediately come hither from their former Station but first to Almon-Diblathaim XXXIII 46. which is also called Beth-Diblathaim in the Wilderness of Moab XLVIII Jerem. 22. and Diblah VI Ezek. 13. And then passing by Ar in the Confines of Moab and approaching to the Country of the Children of Ammon God commanded them not to invade the Ammonites being Descendants from Lot as well as the Moabites II Deut. 18 19 37. but to pass over the River Arnon II Deut. 24. to that side of it which belonged to the Amorites For this River at that time divided the Moabites from the Amorites as it here follows Which is in the Wilderness that cometh out of the Coasts of the Amorites Runs by the Wilderness of Kedemoth unto which the Amorites extended their Dominion II Deut. 26. For Arnon is the Border of Moab between Moab and the Amorites This River flowed from the Mountains of Arabia where it had its rise and fell into the Dead Sea as Josephus saith Lib. IV. Antiq. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bounding the Country of the Moabites and of the Amorites the Country of Moab lying on one side of it and that of the Amorites on the other For though the Moabites formerly possessed the Country on both sides of Arnon as far as Heshbon yet the Amorites had driven them out of that part of it which lay next to them and made the River the Boundary of their two Kingdoms v. 26 27. This Moses recites the more exactly that it might appear the Israelites invaded none of the Moabites Possessions but what was now possessed by the Amorites By which Jephthah defended the Right of the Children of Israel in future times against the Ammonites who pretended this Country belonged to them XI Judges 13 14 15 c. Ver. 14. Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars Verse 14 of the LORD A proof of this Moses thought good to alledge out of an Authentick Record in those Countries containing the History of all the Wars that had been in those Parts which are here called the Wars of the LORD because he is the great Governour of the World as Abarbinel interprets it from whom and by whom are all things who putteth down one and setteth up another as the Psalmist speaks at his good pleasure This Book he thinks was written by some of the Wise men of those Naons and so thinks Nachmanides who looking upon this Conquest made by Sihon as a very memorable thing put it down in their Annals which after the way of those Countries were written he thinks in a Poetical manner There are those who are of opinion that this Book was written by Moses himself who left in it directions to Joshua how to proceed in the Wars of the LORD when he conquered Canaan So Dr. Lightfoot conjectures and Bonfrerius doth not much differ from him But I take the former account to be the more probable that Moses justifies what he writes concerning this Conquest out of their own Books which he quotes just as St. Paul in the New Testament doth one of the Greek Poets What he did in the Red Sea These are the words of the Book out of which he quotes a small Fragment And the Marginal Translation of them is most proper Vaheb in Supheh only the word eth is omitted which makes the Sence to be this against Vaheb in Supheh That is he came some such word must be understood against Vaheb a King of the Moabites and overthrew him in Suphah a place in the Frontiers of Moab See I Deut. 1. Others understand by Vaheb the place where Sihon gave the Moabites this blow which he did by falling upon them on a sudden with a terrible Fury So Nachmanides understands these words besuphah he stormed the City and made a furious Assault when they thought not of it For Suphah signifies a Whirlwind or stormy Tempest V Isai 28. And in the Brooks of Arnon The same Nachmanides takes the word veeth which we translate and in to signifie rather and with and these being still the words of the Book before-mentioned the sence is this In the same manner he smote the Brooks or Torrents of Arnon upon which he fell like a Tempest and carried all before him Verse 15 Ver. 15. And at the Streams of the Brook None I think hath given a better account of these words than the same Nachman who by Esched hannechalim which we translate the Streams of the Brooks understands either a Cliff from whence the Torrents flowed as Aschdod and Happisgah III Deut. 17. are the Hills from whence the Springs gushed or the Valley through which the Torrents ran where they made a great broad Water which is here called an Effusion of Torrents as R. Levi ben Gershom interprets the Hebrew words Esched hannechabim That goeth down to the dwelling of Ar. Which extends it self as far as Ar a City of Moab v. 28. R. Levi ben Gersom takes the word Schebet which we translate dwelling to signifie a Place as well as Ar towards which these Torrents bent their Course And lyeth upon the Borders of Moab Which leaneth or belongeth unto Moab being in the Border of that Country Thus far are