1And the Lord said to Moses, 2Make two silver horns of hammered work, to be used for getting the people together and to give the sign for the moving of the tents. 3When they are sounded, all the people are to come together to you at the door of the Tent of meeting. 4If only one of them is sounded, then the chiefs, the heads of the thousands of Israel, are to come to you. 5When a loud note is sounded, the tents placed on the east side are to go forward. 6At the sound of a second loud note, the tents on the south side are to go forward: the loud note will be the sign to go forward. 7But when all the people are to come together, the horn is to be sounded but not loudly. 8The horns are to be sounded by the sons of Aaron, the priests; this is to be a law for you for ever, from generation to generation. 9And if you go to war in your land against any who do you wrong, then let the loud note of the horn be sounded; and the Lord your God will keep you in mind and give you salvation from those who are against you. 10And on days of joy and on your regular feasts and on the first day of every month, let the horns be sounded over your burned offerings and your peace-offerings; and they will put the Lord in mind of you: I am the Lord your God. 11Now in the second year, on the twentieth day of the second month, the cloud was taken up from over the Tent of witness. 12And the children of Israel went on their journey out of the waste land of Sinai; and the cloud came to rest in the waste land of Paran. 13They went forward for the first time on their journey as the Lord had given orders by the hand of Moses. 14First the flag of the children of Judah went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab. 15And at the head of the army of the children of Issachar was Nethanel, the son of Zuar. 16And at the head of the army of the children of Zebulun was Eliab, the son of Helon. 17Then the House was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were responsible for moving the House, went forward. 18Then the flag of the children of Reuben went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Elizur, the son of Shedeur. 19And at the head of the army of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. 20At the head of the army of the children of Gad was Eliasaph, the son of Reuel. 21Then the Kohathites went forward with the holy place; the others put up the House ready for their coming. 22Then the flag of the children of Ephraim went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Elishama, the son of Ammihud. 23At the head of the army of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur. 24At the head of the army of the children of Benjamin was Abidan, the son of Gideoni. 25And the flag of the children of Dan, whose tents were moved last of all, went forward with their armies: and at the head of his army was Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai. 26At the head of the army of the children of Asher was Pagiel, the son of Ochran. 27And at the head of the army of the children of Naphtali was Ahira, the son of Enan. 28This was the order in which the children of Israel were journeying by armies; so they went forward. 29Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of his father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, We are journeying to that place of which the Lord has said, I will give it to you: so come with us, and it will be for your profit: for the Lord has good things in store for Israel. 30But he said, I will not go with you, I will go back to the land of my birth and to my relations. 31And he said, Do not go from us; for you will be eyes for us, guiding us to the right places in the waste land to put up our tents. 32And if you come with us, we will give you a part in whatever good the Lord does for us. 33So they went forward three days' journey from the mountain of the Lord; and the ark of the Lord's agreement went three days' journey before them, looking for a resting-place for them; 34And by day the cloud of the Lord went over them, when they went forward from the place where they had put up their tents. 35And when the ark went forward Moses said, Come up, O Lord, and let the armies of those who are against you be broken, and let your haters go in flight before you. 36And when it came to rest, he said, Take rest, O Lord, and give a blessing to the families of Israel.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
The silver trumpets. (1-10) The Israelites remove from Sinai to Paran. (11-28) Hobab entreated by Moses to continue. (29-32) The blessing pronounced by Moses. (33-36) 1-10 Here are directions concerning the public notices to be given the people by sound of trumpet. Their laws in every case were to be Divine, therefore, even in this matter Moses is directed. These trumpets typify the preached gospel. It sounds an alarm to sinners, calls them to repent, proclaims liberty to the captives and slaves of Satan, and collects the worshippers of God. It directs and encourages their heavenly journey; stirs them up to combat against the world and sin, encouraging them with the assurance of victory. It leads their attention to the sacrifice of Christ, and shows the Lord's presence for their protection. It is also necessary that the gospel trumpet give a distinct sound, according to the persons addressed, or the end proposed; whether to convince, humble, console, exhort, reprove, or teach. The sounding of the trumpet of the gospel is God's ordinance, and demands the attention of all to whom it is sent. 11-28 After the Israelites had continued nearly a year at mount Sinai, and all was settled respecting their future worship, they began their march to Canaan. True religion begins with the knowledge of the holy law of God, and humiliation for sin, but we must go on towards perfection, in acquaintance with Christ and his gospel, and those effectual encouragements, motives, and assistances to holiness, which it proposes. They took their journey according to the commandment of the Lord, #De 1:6-8|, and as the cloud led them. Those who give themselves to the direction of God's word and Spirit, steer a steady course, even when they seem bewildered. While they are sure they cannot lose their God and Guide, they need not fear losing their way. They went out of the wilderness of Sinai, and rested in the wilderness of Paran. All our removes in this world are but from one wilderness to another. The changes we think will be for the better do not always prove so. We shall never be at rest, never at home, till we come to heaven, but all will be well there. 29-32 Moses invites his kindred to go to Canaan. Those that are bound for the heavenly Canaan, should ask and encourage their friends to go with them: we shall have none the less of the joys of heaven, for others coming to share with us. It is good having fellowship with those who have fellowship with God. But the things of this world, which are seen, draw strongly from the pursuit of the things of the other world, which are not seen. Moses urges that Hobab might be serviceable to them. Not to show where they must encamp, nor what way they must march, the cloud was to direct that; but to show the conveniences of the place they marched through, and encamped in. It well consists with our trust in God's providence, to use the help of our friends. 33-36 Their going out and coming in, gives an example to us to begin and end every day's journey and every day's work with prayer. Here is Moses's prayer when the ark set forward, "Rise up, and let thine enemies be scattered." There are those in the world who are enemies to God and haters of him; secret and open enemies; enemies to his truths, his laws, his ordinances, his people. But for the scattering and defeating of God's enemies, there needs no more than God's arising. Observe also the prayer of Moses when the ark rested, that God would cause his people to rest. The welfare and happiness of the Israel of God, consist in the continual presence of God among them. Their safety is not in their numbers, but in the favour of God, and his gracious return to them, and resting with them. Upon this account, Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people! God will go before them, to find them resting-places by the way. His promise is, and their prayers are, that he will never leave them nor forsake them.