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CHAP. XXXIV.

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the promised land.

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7 And this shall be your north [manded to give unto the nine border: from the great sea ye shall tribes, and to the half tribe :point out for you Mount Hor: 14 For the tribe of the chil8 From Mount Hor ye shall point out your dren of Reuben according to the house of their border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad: according to the house of their fathers, have 9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, received their inheritance; and half the tribe and the goings out of it shall be at Hazar- of Manasseh have received their inheritance : enan: this shall be your north border. 15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising. 16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,. 17 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

10 And ye shall point out your east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham :

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11 And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward: 12 And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.

13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD com

Chap. xxxiii. 37. Chap. xiii. 21; 2 Kings xiv. 25.. Ezek. xlvii. 17.- m2. Kings xxiii. 33; - Heb. shoulder. Deut.'iii. 17; Josh. xi. 2; xix. 35; Malt. xiv. 34; Luke v. LP Ver. 3.- -Ver. 1; Josh.

Ezek. xlvii. 15.Jer. xxxix. 5, 6.

Verse 11. The sea of Chinnereth] The same as the sea of Galilee, sea of Tiberias, and sea of Gennesareth.

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18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.

19 And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, "Caleb the son of Jephunnch.

In Hebrew there is properly but one term, Dyam, tude of advantages in its climate, its soil, situation, &c. which is applied to all collections of water apparently It is bounded on the south by a ridge of mountains, stagnant, and which is generally translated sea. The which separate it from Arabia, and screen it from the Greek of the New Testament follows the Hebrew, burning and often pestiferous winds which blow over and employs, in general, the word aλaooa, SEA, whe-the desert from that quarter. On the west it is ther it speaks of the Mediterranean, or of the sea or bounded by the Mediterranean Sea; on the north, by lake of Galilee. Mount Libanus, which defends it from the cold northern blasts; and on the east by the river Jordan, and its fertile, well-watered plains. It is described by God himself as "a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land wherein there was no scarcity of bread, and where both iron and copper mines abounded," Deut. viii. 7-9 à land finely diversified with hills and valleys, and well watered by the rain of heaven, in this respect widely different from Egypt; a land which God cared for, on which his eyes were continually placed from the beginning to the end of the year; watched over by a most merciful Providence; in a word, a land which flowed with milk and honey, and was the most pleasant of all lands; Deut. xi. 11, 12; Ezek. xx. 6. Such was the land, and such were the advantages that this most favoured people were called to possess. They were called to possess it by lot that each might be satisfied with his possession, as considering it to be appointed to him by the especial providence of God; and its boundaries were ascertained on Divine authority, to prevent all covetousness after the territories of others.

Verse 12. The border shall go down to Jordan] This river is famous both in the Old and New Testa ments. It takes its rise at the foot of Mount, Libanus, passes through the sea of Chinnereth or Tiberias, and empties itself into the lake Asphaltites or Dead Sea, from which it has no outlet. In and by it God wrought many miracles. God cut off the waters of this river as he did those of the Red Sea, so that they stood on a heap on each side, and the people passed over on dry ground. Both Elijah and Elisha separated its waters in a miraculous way, 2 Kings ii. 8-14. Naaman, the Syrian general, by washing in it at the command of the prophet, was miraculously cured of his leprosy, 2 Kings v. 10-14. In this river John baptized great multitudes of Jews; and in it was CHRIST himself baptized, and the Spirit of God descended upon him, and the voice from heaven proclaimed. him the great and only Teacher and Saviour of men, Matt. iii. 16, 17; Mark i. 5-11.

Verse 13. This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot] Much of what is said concerning this land is peculiarly emphatic. It is a land that contains a multi

Verse 19, &c. And the names of the men are these]

24 And the prince of the tribe of the children mihud. of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 29 These are they whom the LORD com25 And the prince of the tribe of the chil-manded to divide the inheritance unto the dren of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. children of Israel in the land of Cannan.

It is worthy of remark that Moses does not follow any order hitherto used of placing the tribes, neither that in chap i., nor that in chap. vii., nor that in chap. xxvi., nor any other; but places them here exactly in that order in which they possessed the land. 1. Judah; 2. Simeon; 3. Benjamin; 4. Dan; 5. Manasseh; 6. Ephraim; 7. Zebulun; 8. Issachar; 9. Asher; 10. Naphtali. Judah is first, having the first lot; and he dwelt in the south part of the land, Josh. xv. 1, &c.; and next to him Simeon, because his inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah, Josh. xix. 1. ~ Benjamin was third; he had his inheritance by Judah, between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph, Josh. xviii. 11. Dan was the fourth his lot fell westward of that of Ben-land, signified beforehand the manner of their possesjamin, in the country of the Philistines, as may be seen in Josh. xix. 40, 41, &c. Fifth, Manassek; and sixth, by him, his brother Ephraim, whose inheritances were behind that of Benjamin, Josh. xvi. 7.. Next to these dwelt, seventh, Zebulun; and eighth, Issachar;

concerning whose lots see Josh. xix. 10-17. Ninth, Asher; and tenth, Naphtali; see Josh. xix. 24, 32, &c. And as in encamping about the tabernacle they were arranged according to their fraternal relationship, (see chap. ii.,) so they were in the division and inheriting of the promised land. Judah and Simeon, both sons of Leah, dwelt abreast of each other. Benjamin, son of Rachel, and Dan, son of Rachel's maid, dwelt next abreast. Manasseh and Ephraim, both sons of Joseph, son of Rachel, had the next place abreast. Zebulun and Issachar, who dwelt next together, were both sons of Leah; and the last pair were Asher, of Leah's maid, and Naphtali, of Rachel's maid. Thus God, in nominating the princes that should divide the

sion, and that they should be so situated as to dwell together as brethren in unity, for the mutual help and comfort of each other. See Ainsworth. In this arrangement there is much skill, judgment, and kindness every where displayed.

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Israelites are commanded to give the Levites, out of their inheritances, cities and their suburbs for themselves and for their cattle, goods, &c., 1-3. The suburbs to be 3,000 cubits round about from the wall of the city, 4, 5. The cities to be forty-two, to which six cities of refuge should be added, in all forty-eight cities, 6, 7. Each tribe shall give of these cities in proportion to its possessions, 8. These cities to be appointed for the person who might slay his neighbour unawares, 9-12. Of these six cities there shall be three on each side Jordan, 13, 14. The cities to be places of refuge for all who kill a person unawares, whether they be Israelites, strangers, or sojourners, 15. Cases of murder to which the benefit of the cities of refuge shall not extend, 16-21. Cases of manslaughter to which the benefits of the cities of refuge shall extend, 22, 23. How the congregation shall act between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, 24, 25. The manslayer shall abide in the city of refuge till the death of the high priest; he shall then return to the land of his possession, 26–28. Two witnesses must attest a murder before a murderer can be put to death, 29, 30. Every murderer to be put to death, 31. The manslayer

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is not to be permitted to come to the land of his inheritance till the death of the high priest, 32. land must not be polluted with blood, for the Lord dwells in it, 33, 34.

The

CHAP. XXXV.

their possession, cities to dwell many; but from them that have
few, ye shall give few: every An Exod. Isr.
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25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood; and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled and he 18 Or if he smite him with a hand weapon shall abide in it unto the death of the high of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely 26 But if the slayer shall at any time come be put to death. without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

Verse 12. Until he stand before the congregation in judgment.] So one of these cities was not a perpetual asylum; it was only a pro tempore refuge, till the case Verse 31. Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life could be fairly examined by the magistrates in the pre-of a murderer] No atonement could be made for him,

As he who takes a man's life away before his time may be the murderer of his soul as well as of his body, the severest laws should be enacted against this, both to punish and prevent the crime.

nor any commutation, so as to save him from death. All the laws of the civilized world have either adjudged the murderer to death, or to a punishment equivalent to it; such as perpetual imprisonment, in a dungeon, under ground, on a stone floor, without light, and to be fed on a small portion of bread and water. In such THE Mosaic cities of refuge have in general been circumstances a man could live but a short time; and considered, not merely as civil institutions, but as types though it is not called the punishment of death, yet, or representations of infinitely better things; and in from its inevitable consequences, it only differed from this light St. Paul seems to have considered them and it by being a little longer respite than was usual where the altar of God, which was a place of general refuge, the punishment of death was awarded. See the note as it is pretty evident that he had them in view when on Gen. ix. 6. writing the following words: "God, willing more abunVerse 32. Until the death of the priest.] Probably dantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutaintended to typify, that no sinner can be delivered from bility of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by his banishment from God, or recover his forfeited in-two immutable things, (his oath and promise;) in which heritance, till Jesus Christ, the great high priest, had died for his offences, and risen again for his justification.

Verse 33. For blood it defileth the land] The very land was considered as guilty till the blood of the murderer was shed in it. No wonder God is so particularly strict in bis laws against murderers, 1. Because he is the author of life, and none have any right to dispose of it but himself. 2. Because life is the time to prepare for the eternal world, and on it the salvation of the soul accordingly depends; therefore it is of infinite consequence to the man that his life be lengthened out to the utmost limits assigned by Divine Providence.

it was impossible for God to he, we might have a strong consolation who have FLED for REFUGE to lay HOLD upon the HOPE set before us," Heb. vi. 17, 18. Independently of this, it was a very wise political institute; and while the patriarchal law on this point continued in force, this law had a direct tendency to cool and moderate the spirit of revenge, to secure the proper accomplishment of the ends of justice, and to make way for every claim of mercy and equity. But this is not peculiar to the ordinance of the cities of refuge; every institution of God is distinguished in the same way, having his own glory, in the present and eternal welfare of man, immediately in view.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

The inconveniences which might be produced by daughters, inheritrixes, marrying out of their own tribe, remedied on the recommendation of certain chiefs of the tribe of Joseph, who stated the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, 1–4. The daughters of Zelophehad are commanded to marry in their own tribe, 5, 6; which is to be an ordinance in all similar circumstances, 7–9. The daughters of Zelophehad marry their father's brother's sons, and thus their inheritance is preserved in their own tribe, 10-12. The conclusion of the commandments given by the Lord to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, 13.