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| 1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, |
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| 2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them; and they shall serve for the calling together of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. |
Of silver – Symbol of truth. T114
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| 3 And when they shall blow with them, the whole assembly shall gather to thee at the entrance of the tent of meeting. |
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| 4 And if they blow with one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather unto thee. |
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| 5 And when ye blow an alarm, the camps that lie eastward shall set forward. |
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| 6 And when ye blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie southward shall set forward; they shall blow an alarm on their setting forward. |
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| 7 And when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not blow an alarm: |
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| 8 the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an everlasting statute throughout your generations. |
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| 9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. |
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| 10 And in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in your new moons, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings and over your sacrifices of peace-offering; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God: I am Jehovah your God. |
Peace offerings – Typifying covenants of consecration to God made by mankind during the Millennial age. T98
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| 11 And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. |
In the second year – Approximately one year; link No. 21 in the true Bible chronology. B48
The cloud – Representing the Lord. R3060:5
A continual reminder of their covenant with God. R4037:3
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| 12 And the children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stood still in the wilderness of Paran. |
Sinai – Picturing the Kingdom of God. R4037:5
Wilderness of Paran – The place from which the spies were sent out. B48
Much more rugged than Sinai. R3060:6
Referred to in Deut. 1:19 as "great and terrible." R4037:3
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| 13 And they first took their journey, according to the commandment of Jehovah through Moses. |
Commandment of the LORD – Spiritual Israelites should not murmur or even express a choice when the Lord's providences lead into new circumstances. R3060:6
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| 14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward first according to their hosts, and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab; |
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| 15 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar; |
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| 16 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. |
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| 17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward bearing the tabernacle. |
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| 18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their hosts, and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur; |
Armies – Israel was now thoroughly organized. R4037:2
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| 19 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; |
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| 20 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. |
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| 21 And the Kohathites set forward bearing the sanctuary: and the others set up the tabernacle whilst they came. |
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| 22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their hosts, and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud; |
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| 23 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; |
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| 24 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni. |
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| 25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, the rear-guard of all the camps according to their hosts, and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; |
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| 26 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran; |
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| 27 and over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. |
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| 28 These were the settings forward of the children of Israel according to their hosts: so did they set forward. |
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| 29 And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which Jehovah said, I will give it unto you: come with us, and we will do thee good; for Jehovah has spoken good concerning Israel. |
Hobab – Moses' brother-in-law who belonged to an Arab tribe of Midian known as the Kenites. R4038:3
Raguel – Otherwise called Jethro, Moses' father-in-law. Jethro means "excellent" and was probably Raguel's title as chief of the Midianites. R3061:5, R4038:3
We – Typifying the Church of God. R4038:4
Unto the place – The heavenly Canaan. R4038:4
Come thou with us – So we may now invite those who are still strangers to the Lord's covenants. R4038:4
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| 30 And he said to him, I will not go; but to mine own land, and to my kindred will I go. |
I will not go – Similarly, if our arguments of faith fail to influence our friends we should not give up. R4038:5
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| 31 And he said, Leave me not, I pray thee, because thou knowest where we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou wilt be to us for eyes. |
Instead of eyes – Similarly, some may be attracted to the Lord's people by opportunity for rendering service (not as elders). The Lord's people should always be ready to make use of every human instrumentality that would aid in carrying out the divine program. R4038:5
Hobab went with the Israelites (Judges 1:16; Judges 4:11; 1 Sam. 15:6) (See comment on "Hobab," Num. 10:29). R3061:5, R4038:5
Hobab was more familiar with the trackless wilderness. R4038:6
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| 32 And it shall be, if thou come with us, that whatever good Jehovah doeth unto us, so will we do to thee. |
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| 33 And they set forward from the mountain of Jehovah and went three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting-place for them. |
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| 34 And the cloud of Jehovah was over them by day when they set forward out of the camp. |
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| 35 And it came to pass when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered; And let them that hate thee flee before thy face. |
That Moses said – As his morning invocation. R4039:1, R5313:3
Rise up, LORD – In other words, "Abide with us." R5313:3
Evidently referring to Psa. 68. R3060:6, R4039:1
This verse was Israel's usual battle hymn. R5626:3
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| 36 And when it rested, he said, Return, Jehovah, unto the myriads of the thousands of Israel. |
He said – As his evening prayer. R4039:1, R5313:3
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