CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Numbers 33
Chapter 33 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in Numbers 33
This chapter is a travel log of Israel's entire journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab. It lists over forty stopping places along the way. At the end, God gives important instructions about what to do when Israel enters the Promised Land.
Scripture
Numbers 33
The Journey Begins: Egypt to Sinai
Study note
Moses recorded each stage of Israel's journey at the Lord's command. The journey began at Rameses in Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the first Passover. The Israelites left boldly while the Egyptians were burying their firstborn. They traveled through the wilderness, crossing the Red Sea, stopping at places like Marah, Elim, and Rephidim before arriving at the wilderness of Sinai.
1 Here is the record of Israel's journey after they left Egypt. They traveled in their tribal groups. Moses and Aaron led them. 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 Following the Lord's instructions, Moses kept a written log of each place where they started a new leg of the journey. Here are those stopping points: 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 They departed from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day right after Passover. The Israelites marched out boldly, in plain sight of the Egyptians. 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 of all the Egyptians.
4 At that very time, the Egyptians were burying their firstborn, all of whom the Lord had killed. The Lord had also executed judgment against Egypt's gods. For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
5 The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth. And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.
6 Leaving Succoth, they camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.
7 Leaving Etham, they doubled back toward Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and camped near Migdol. And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pi-hahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon: and they pitched before Migdol.
8 Leaving Pi-hahiroth, they walked right through the sea into the wilderness. After a three-day trek through the wilderness of Etham, they camped at Marah. And they departed from before Pi-hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.
9 Leaving Marah, they arrived at Elim. Elim had twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there. And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.
10 Leaving Elim, they camped beside the Red Sea. And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.
11 Leaving the Red Sea, they camped in the wilderness of Sin. And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
12 Leaving the wilderness of Sin, they camped at Dophkah. And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
13 Leaving Dophkah, they camped at Alush. And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
14 Leaving Alush, they camped at Rephidim, where the people had no water to drink. And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
15 Leaving Rephidim, they camped in the wilderness of Sinai. And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
The Wilderness Wanderings
Study note
After leaving Mount Sinai, Israel traveled through dozens of stopping places during their forty years of wandering. Many of these locations are mentioned only here. Each move was directed by God through the pillar of cloud and fire. The journey eventually brought them to Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
16 Leaving the wilderness of Sinai, they camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibroth-hattaavah.
17 Leaving Kibroth-hattaavah, they camped at Hazeroth. And they departed from Kibroth-hattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth.
18 Leaving Hazeroth, they camped at Rithmah. And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.
19 Leaving Rithmah, they camped at Rimmon-perez. And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmon-parez.
20 Leaving Rimmon-perez, they camped at Libnah. And they departed from Rimmon-parez, and pitched in Libnah.
21 Leaving Libnah, they camped at Rissah. And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah.
22 Leaving Rissah, they camped at Kehelathah. And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah.
23 Leaving Kehelathah, they camped at Mount Shepher. And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.
24 Leaving Mount Shepher, they camped at Haradah. And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah.
25 Leaving Haradah, they camped at Makheloth. And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.
26 Leaving Makheloth, they camped at Tahath. And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath.
27 Leaving Tahath, they camped at Terah. And they departed from Tahath, and pitched at Tarah.
28 Leaving Terah, they camped at Mithkah. And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.
29 Leaving Mithkah, they camped at Hashmonah. And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah.
30 Leaving Hashmonah, they camped at Moseroth. And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.
31 Leaving Moseroth, they camped at Bene-jaakan. And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Bene-jaakan.
32 Leaving Bene-jaakan, they camped at Hor-haggidgad. And they removed from Bene-jaakan, and encamped at Hor-hagidgad.
33 Leaving Hor-haggidgad, they camped at Jotbathah. And they went from Hor-hagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.
34 Leaving Jotbathah, they camped at Abronah. And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah.
35 Leaving Abronah, they camped at Ezion-geber. And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Ezion-gaber.
36 Leaving Ezion-geber, they camped in the wilderness of Zin, at the place called Kadesh. And they removed from Ezion-gaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
From Kadesh to the Plains of Moab
Study note
Aaron the priest died on Mount Hor at the age of 123, in the fortieth year after leaving Egypt. The king of Arad heard that Israel was coming. The people continued through several more stops until they finally camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across from Jericho. They were now at the border of the Promised Land.
37 Leaving Kadesh, they camped at Mount Hor on the border of Edom. And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.
38 At the Lord's command, Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor and died there. It was the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites had left Egypt. 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 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.
40 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the southern part of Canaan, got word that the Israelites were approaching. 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 Leaving Mount Hor, they camped at Zalmonah. And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.
42 Leaving Zalmonah, they camped at Punon. And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.
43 Leaving Punon, they camped at Oboth. And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth.
44 Leaving Oboth, they camped at Iye-abarim on the Moabite border. And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab.
45 Leaving Iyim, they camped at Dibon-gad. And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibon-gad.
46 Leaving Dibon-gad, they camped at Almon-diblathaim. And they removed from Dibon-gad, and encamped in Almon-diblathaim.
47 Leaving Almon-diblathaim, they camped in the Abarim mountains near Mount Nebo. And they removed from Almon-diblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
48 They left the Abarim mountains and camped on the plains of Moab. They were beside the Jordan River across from Jericho. And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
49 Their camp on the plains of Moab stretched along the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim. And they pitched by Jordan, from Beth-jesimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.
Instructions for Entering the Land
Study note
God told Moses to warn the people that when they crossed the Jordan into Canaan, they must drive out all the inhabitants, destroy their carved images and idols, and tear down their places of pagan worship. The land would be divided by lot among the tribes. God warned that if they failed to drive out the inhabitants, those who remained would become constant trouble for Israel.
50 On the plains of Moab beside the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord told Moses, And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
51 "Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into Canaan," Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;
52 "you must drive out every person living in the land. Smash all their carved idols and metal images, and demolish all their worship sites." Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:
53 "Claim the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to possess." And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
54 "Divide the land by drawing lots among your family groups. Larger groups should receive larger territories, and smaller groups should receive smaller ones. Wherever the lot assigns land to a tribe, that territory is theirs." And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.
55 "But if you fail to drive out the inhabitants, the ones you leave behind will become like sharp thorns poking your eyes and painful splinters jabbing your sides. They will be a constant source of trouble for you in the land." But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
56 "And then I will do to you what I had originally planned to do to them." Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.
Key Themes
Themes in Numbers 33
God records our journeyRemembering God's faithfulness through every stageComplete obedience in the Promised LandLeaving the past behind to enter the future
Apply This Today
Living Numbers 33
The detailed travel log shows that God was present at every campsite, even the ones marked by failure. Looking back at our journey reveals God's hand in places we might have missed at the time. As Israel was told to completely cleanse the land, we too must deal thoroughly with the sin and compromise in our lives.
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