countries intended by this denomination. The most probable opinion seems to us to be that which considers that the Hebrews used it to express, in a general sense, all the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, so far as known to them. The meaning of this remarkable prophecy seems very clear, and was accomplished in all its details. It appears to mean generally, that Moab, Edom, and Amalek should be smitten by the Israelites; who should, in their turn, be overcome and taken captive (with the Kenites) by the Assyrians; who should themselves, ultimately, be "afflicted" by the Greeks and Romans; and that, in the fulness of time, they also should utterly perish.

"Eber."-The Hebrews are doubtless principally intended; but perhaps including also the kindred nations equally descended from Abraham.

Verse 1. "Shittim.”—The observation on Jeshimon (chap. xxiii. 28) applies equally to this place. We know nothing about it. It is probably the same place which is called Abel-Shittim in chap. xxxiii. 49. It was sixty stadia distant from the Jordan, according to Josephus. It was from this place that Joshua sent the spies to Jericho (Josh. ii. 1), and from which the host departed to encamp close to the river, previous to the passage over Jordan (Josh.iii. 1).

3. "Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor."- Boothroyd follows Michaelis in rendering this, "wore the badges of Baal-peor;" that is, by binding themselves with fillets in his honour, and thus openly avowing their idolatry. This seems very probably the true sense of the original word Y, tzamad, as used in this place. The Israelites would thus seem to have manifested every form of devotion to the idol of Moab; they worshipped him; they ate of his sacrifices; they wore his festival badges; and they defiled themselves by participating in the lustful abominations with which his worship was celebrated. Those who have given their attention to the elucidation of the idolatries mentioned in Scripture are not agreed about Baal-peor. We may observe that the same god was often worshipped by the same people, but almost always under different names, and with different ceremonies; and as the worship 396

of the Baal so frequently mentioned in Scripture was most extensively diffused, it is not improbable that this was the same idol, distinguished as the national deity of the Moabites by the affix "Peor," derived probably from Mount Peor, within their territory (chap. xxiii. 28), being the chief seat of his worship. We all know how common a custom it was to call the same deity by different surnames according to the different places where he was worshipped. The Olympian and Dodonæan Jupiter form an instance of this. As, however, Baal (ford) is rather the titular distinction of a chief deity (the sun generally) rather than a proper name, it may be doubted whether precisely the same deity is always intended by this term, particularly when a distinctive surname is given. Jerome, Origen, and many other high authorities, are of opinion that Baal-peor was the same, or nearly the same, as the Priapus of the Romans, and was worshipped with similar obscene rites. Such rites were not indeed by any means peculiar to any one deity, but were more or less common to many, whence the Scripture, with just severity, frequently calls the deities of the surrounding nations, not "gods," or even "idols," but "abominations,"-"the abomination of Moab," "the abomination of the Ammonites," "the abomination of the Zidonians," &c. This view as to Baal-peor seems rather to be sanctioned by the striking passage in Hosea (ix. 10), which we thus read in Boothroyd's version:

"They went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves to shame;
And became abominable as the object of their love."

Whichever view we take, there is little question that the worship of this idol was celebrated by the most immodest actions, and that the unholy connections of the Israelites with the daughters of Moab and Midian were as much crimes of idolatry as of lust. We learn from chap. xxxi. 16, that in this melancholy affair, the Israelites were designedly seduced by the people of the land, by the advice of Balaam, who having, much against his inclination, been obliged to bless those whom he desired to curse, and being probably aware of the consequences which attended their worship of the golden calf, suggested the attempt to seduce them from their allegiance to Jehovah as the most likely way to bring down ruin upon them.

It is believed by many commentators, that Chemosh, "the abomination of Moab," from whom the Moabites are called, in chap. xxi. 29, "the people of Chemosh," and to whom Solomon erected an altar on the Mount of Olives (1 Kings xi. 7), was the same as Baal-peor. This opinion was entertained by Milton, who thus alludes to the present transaction, and defines the limits to which the worship of this idol extended:

"Chemos, th' obscene dread of Moab's sons,

From Aroer to Nebo, and the wild

Of southmost Abarim; in Hesebon

And Horonaim, Sihon's realm, beyond

The flow'ry vale of Sibma, clad with vines;

And Eleale, to the Asphaltic pool:

Peor his other name, when he enticed

Israel in Sittim, on their march from Nile,

To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe."

PARADISE LOST, B. i. 406.

4. "Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up.”—The heads of the people were the princes of tribes: if these were the same as those addressed in the following verse, they were assembled not to be themselves hanged up, but to slay those who had been joined to Baal-peor. This is the understanding of Jarchi and other Rabbins; and is sanctioned by the Samaritan, which retains a clause that appears to have dropped from the Hebrew text, and is introduced by Boothroyd, whose translation thus reads this part of the verse:"Take all the heads of the people, and let them slay those men who have worn the badges of Baal-peor, and hang them up before Jehovah until sun-setting." The following verse would then mean that every chief was in his own division to execute the Divine judgment upon the idolaters. Some commentators however are of opinion that the passage is to be understood as it appears in our version, and that the directions in the following verse were addressed to the judges appointed under the advice of Jethro. By hanging up we are to understand the ignominious gibbeting of the body, after the criminal had been stoned or slain with the sword-hanging alive not being a Hebrew punishment.

9." Twenty and four thousand."-St. Paul says twenty-three thousand. The account of Moses includes, most probably, the total number, as well those that were put to death and hanged up, as those that died of the plague; while the Apostle limits his notice to those only who died of the plague. The persons hanged up probably did not exceed the one thousand, which is the amount of the difference between the numbers.

CHAPTER XXVI.

1 The sum of all Israel is taken in the plains of Moab. 52 The law of dividing among them the inheritance of the land. 57 The families and number of the Levites. 63 None were left of them which were numbered at Sinai, but Caleb and Joshua.

AND it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Elcazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel. 1 Chap. 1. 3. 2 Chap. 1. 1.

3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

4 Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.

5 Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:

6 Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

3 Gen. 46. 8. Exod. 6. 14. 1 Chron. 5. 1.

39 Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred.

:

42 ¶ These are the sons of Dan after their families of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.

43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand, and four hundred.

44 Of the children of Asher after their families of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

45 of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.

47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

48 Of the sons of Naphtali after their families of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites:

49 Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.

51 These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

53 Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number

of names.

13

59 And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

60 And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

62 And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.

64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

65 For the LORD had said of them, They 15shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

10 Heb. diminish his inheritance. 11 Chap. 33. 54. Josh. 11. 23, and 14. 2.
14 Levit. 10. 2. Chap. 3. 4. 1 Chron. 24. 2. 15 Chap. 14. 28.. 1 Cor. 10. 5, 6.

Verse 2. "Take the sum of all the congregation.”—The following table furnishes a view of the results of this census as compared with that which was taken soon after the exodus, showing the increase or decrease which took place in each tribe during the intervening period:

That there should have been a decrease may at the first view seem surprising when we recollect the great rapidity with which the Israelites had previously increased. But there is not the least difficulty in accounting for it. The difference between the plenty of Egypt and the sterility and privations of the desert may be taken into the account; but still we can see that there actually would have been a large increase if the frequent perversity and rebellion of the people had not from time to time occasioned vast numbers of them to be destroyed. Perhaps we should not be far wide of the mark in estimating at about 100.000 the loss thus occasioned to the population; and the probability of this conjecture may be seen by considering the different circumstances which operated in causing this reduction. 1. (Num. xi. 1.) Murmuring; in consequence of which "the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp." 2. (xi. 35.) “Very great plague" for loathing manna. 3. (xiv. 45.) Smitten by the Amalekites. 4. (xvi. 32. 35. 49.) Korah's rebellion and its consequences caused the destruction of about 15,000. 5. (xxi. 1.) Smitten by the king of Arad. 6. (xxi. 6.) Plague of fiery serpents: "much people died." 7. (xxv. 5. 9.) 24,000 destroyed by plague for their sin in the matter of Baal-peor, besides those previously slain with the sword.

The remarkable difference of the rate of increase and decrease in the several tribes, might give occasion for much curious investigation. The most striking points are the astonishing increase in Manasseh, and the still more astonishing decrease in Simeon. The former, from being numerically the lowest of the tribes at the former census, is at this become the sixth; and the latter, from being the third, has become the lowest of all, having lost not very much less than two-thirds of its former numbers. For the increase in Manasseh it is difficult to discover any other cause than the Lord's blessing upon the house of Joseph; but as to the decrease in Simeon it is not without reason conceived that this tribe sustained the principal loss in the matter of Baal-peor. We know that Zimri, one of the ringleaders, was a chief of this tribe, and nothing is more probable than that a large number of its members should have been induced to follow the example of so influential a person.

55. "The land shall be divided by lot."-The numbers of the tribes being so different, there must necessarily be an inequality in the extent and importance of their respective territories. The country also which they were to inherit was of an unequal and diversified character. The distribution was probably therefore directed to be by lot, in order to prevent the charges of partiality or prejudice which the tribes might have been ready to make against those who, in the absence of the lot, would have had to direct the distribution. The people would not doubt that their inheritance was appointed by God when they saw that, being thus taken, each tribe received the portion that was suited to its wants. The manner in which the lot was taken is quite a matter of conjecture. Some of the Rabbins say that the limits were defined on scrolls of parchment, which the princes of the respective tribes drew in succession (beginning with Reuben), from the urn in which they were placed. But others have it that there were two urns, one containing the name of the tribe, and the other the definition of the limits of a province, and that a person who drew the lots took first a scroll containing the name of a tribe from one urn, and then took from the other another scroll, the district defined in which belonged to the tribe previously drawn. It will be recollected that only nine tribes and a half thus received their inheritance by lot, Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, having previously settled on the east of the Jordan.

64. "Among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered...in the wilderness of Sinai."-This shows that the census was not a mere counting of heads, but a regular registration of names and families, for else this fact could not well have been ascertained. It also forms one circumstance to account for the diminished population, it being ordained that all the males above twenty at the first enumeration should die before the second. This could not have happened according to the ordinary laws of mortality. It will of course be recollected that the effect of this must have been that in all the tribes (Levi excepted) there were only two men above sixty years of age at the period of the second census. In ordinary circumstances a great number must have exceeded this age, particularly as at this early period of the world the average duration of human life seems not to have been quite reduced to its present standard. It has been stated as an objection to the account in the text, that Caleb and Joshua were not the only persons numbered in Sinai who entered Canaan, as Eleazar and Phinehas are mentioned (Josh. xiv. 1, and xxii. 13) among those who did so. The answer is easy-The Levites were not included in the general enumeration at Sinai, but were numbered distinctly and on a different principle (from a month old, not from twenty years old). Neither had they any share in the transaction which brought the sentence of death on the mass of the people. This tribe did not, like the others, send a spy into Canaan, nor does it appear that it concurred in the general_murmuring which the report of the spies occasioned. ¡