Numbers 33:1-49

Numbers 33:1-49

[1] These are the journeys  of the children  of Israel,  which went forth  out of the land  of Egypt  with their armies  under the hand  of Moses  and Aaron.  [2] And Moses  wrote  their goings out  according to their journeys  by the commandment  of the LORD:  and these are their journeys  according to their goings out.  [3] And they departed  from Rameses  in the first  month,  on the fifteenth  day  of the first  month;  on the morrow  after the passover  the children  of Israel  went out  with an high  hand  in the sight  [4] buried  all their firstborn,  which the LORD  had smitten  among them: upon their gods  also the LORD  executed  judgments.  [5] And the children  of Israel  removed  from Rameses,  and pitched  in Succoth.  [6] And they departed  from Succoth,  and pitched  in Etham,  which is in the edge  of the wilderness.  [7] And they removed  from Etham,  and turned again  unto Pihahiroth,  which is before Baalzephon:  and they pitched  before  Migdol.  [8] And they departed  from before  Pihahiroth,  and passed through  the midst  of the sea  into the wilderness,  three  days'  journey  in the wilderness  of Etham,  and pitched  in Marah.  [9] And they removed  from Marah,  and came  unto Elim:  were twelve  fountains  of water,  and threescore and ten  palm trees;  and they pitched  [10] And they removed  from Elim,  and encamped  by the Red  sea.  [11] And they removed  from the Red  sea,  and encamped  in the wilderness  of Sin.  [12] And they took their journey  out of the wilderness  of Sin,  and encamped  in Dophkah.  [13] And they departed  from Dophkah,  and encamped  in Alush.  [14] And they removed  from Alush,  and encamped  at Rephidim,  where was no water  for the people  to drink.  [15] And they departed  from Rephidim,  and pitched  in the wilderness  of Sinai.  [16] And they removed  from the desert  of Sinai,  and pitched  at Kibrothhattaavah.  [17] And they departed  from Kibrothhattaavah,  and encamped  at Hazeroth.  [18] And they departed  from Hazeroth,  and pitched  in Rithmah.  [19] And they departed  from Rithmah,  and pitched  at Rimmonparez.  [20] And they departed  from Rimmonparez,  and pitched  in Libnah.  [21] And they removed  from Libnah,  and pitched  at Rissah.  [22] And they journeyed  from Rissah,  and pitched  in Kehelathah.  [23] And they went  from Kehelathah,  and pitched  in mount  Shapher.  [24] And they removed  from mount  Shapher,  and encamped  in Haradah.  [25] And they removed  from Haradah,  and pitched  in Makheloth.  [26] And they removed  from Makheloth,  and encamped  at Tahath.  [27] And they departed  from Tahath,  and pitched  at Tarah.  [28] And they removed  from Tarah,  and pitched  in Mithcah.  [29] And they went  from Mithcah,  and pitched  in Hashmonah.  [30] And they departed  from Hashmonah,  and encamped  at Moseroth.  [31] And they departed  from Moseroth,  and pitched  in Benejaakan.  [32] And they removed  from Benejaakan,  and encamped  at Horhagidgad.  [33] And they went  from Horhagidgad,  and pitched  in Jotbathah.  [34] And they removed  from Jotbathah,  and encamped  at Ebronah.  [35] And they departed  from Ebronah,  and encamped  at Eziongaber.  [36] And they removed  from Eziongaber,  and pitched  in the wilderness  of Zin,  which is Kadesh.  [37] And they removed  from Kadesh,  and pitched  in mount  Hor,  in the edge  of the land  of Edom.  [38] And Aaron  the priest  went up  into mount  Hor  at the commandment  of the LORD,  and died  there, in the fortieth  year  after the children  of Israel  were come out  of the land  of Egypt,  in the first  day of the fifth  month.  [39] And Aaron  was an hundred  and twenty  and three  years  old  when he died  in mount  Hor.  [40] And king  Arad  the Canaanite,  which dwelt  in the south  in the land  of Canaan,  heard  of the coming  of the children  of Israel.  [41] And they departed  from mount  Hor,  and pitched  in Zalmonah.  [42] And they departed  from Zalmonah,  and pitched  in Punon.  [43] And they departed  from Punon,  and pitched  in Oboth.  [44] And they departed  from Oboth,  and pitched  in Ijeabarim,  in the border  of Moab.  [45] And they departed  from Iim,  and pitched  in Dibongad.  [46] And they removed  from Dibongad,  and encamped  in Almondiblathaim.  [47] And they removed  from Almondiblathaim,  and pitched  in the mountains  of Abarim,  before  Nebo.  [48] And they departed  from the mountains  of Abarim,  and pitched  in the plains  of Moab  by Jordan  near Jericho.  [49] And they pitched  by Jordan,  from Bethjesimoth  even unto Abelshittim  in the plains  of Moab. 

What does Numbers 33:1-49 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

After introductory comments ( Numbers 33:1-2), Moses gave a list of12important places where Israel stopped from Egypt to Mt. Sinai ( Numbers 33:3-15). Note that he did not describe the march by identifying the places where Israel stopped but by citing them as places from which they set out ( Numbers 33:2). This emphasizes the importance of the goal of their journey: the Promised Land. They set out from these places on their trek to the land.
Moses described the journey from Mt. Sinai to Kadesh and from Kadesh back to Kadesh next ( Numbers 33:16-36). This includes the period of38 years in which Israel wandered while the older generations died out. From the comparatively small number of sites mentioned it is probable that Israel stayed at some locations for long periods of time. The nation was probably at rest much more than it was in transit during these years.
Some scholars believe Israel reversed directions after leaving Mt. Hor ( Numbers 20:23) and marched north to bypass Edom at its north end rather than its south. [1] This view depends on identifying Punon and Oboth ( Numbers 33:42-44; cf. Numbers 21:10-11) with modern Feinan and el-Weibah, both of which are on Edom"s west side rather than the east. These identifications are not sure, however. Deuteronomy 2:8 says the Israelites turned at Elath and Ezion-geber, which are at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Therefore this view seems unlikely. [2]
The last leg of the journey was from Kadesh, the second time, to the plains of Moab ( Numbers 33:37-49; cf. chs20-21). [3]
"His [4] death [5] came at a great age-a mark of God"s blessing in his life. By the mercy of the Lord, his time was extended to the very last year of Israel"s desert experience; his own sin ( Numbers 20) kept him from living into the time of the conquest of the land." [6]
"Within the list of encampments are two short narratives that focus on the work of Moses ( Numbers 33:2-3) and Aaron ( Numbers 33:38-39).... Both narratives have the same comment that Moses ( Numbers 33:2) and Aaron ( Numbers 33:38) obeyed "the command of the LORD." Thus one of the purposes of this list within the larger strategy of the book appears to be to give a brief review of the work of these two great leaders. God used them and their obedience to lead the people in the wilderness for the forty years." [5]
"One impression cannot escape the student who has followed the account of Numbers up to this point, that Isaiah , the long-suffering grace of God in preserving a people as He had originally promised, through all the experiences of this vast number of places." [8]