Numbers 33 Study Notes

33:1-10 The pattern of “they traveled / they camped” echoes the pattern of the journey song of 9:18-23, providing continuity in the literary style of these two sections of the book. The first cycle, from Rameses to the Red Sea, provides the date and setting of the miraculous and historic deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt—highlighting the death of the firstborn in Egypt, which provided redemption for the firstborn Israelites (3:13) and victory over the gods of Egypt.

33:11-17 From the Wilderness of Sin to Hazeroth, Mount Sinai is not mentioned, though the Sinai Wilderness is included. The details of the year-long stay in the vicinity of the mountain of God are found in Ex 19-40 and Nm 1-10. One of the key questions in attempting to locate the sites in the second through fifth cycles is the location of Mount Sinai. Through the centuries more than twenty different mountains have been suggested. These include Jebel Helal in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula near the Way of the Wilderness of Shur (Ex 15:22), Jebel Sin Bisher in the west central region, Jebel Serbal and the traditional Jebel Musa in the southern Sinai region, and Har Karkom in the Paran Wilderness region. Several mountains in northwestern Saudi Arabia have also been proposed, including Jebel el-Lawra, southeast of Aqaba. If the request of Moses before Pharaoh to journey three days into the wilderness to celebrate a festival to the Lord (Ex 8:3) is to be applied to the quest for the mountain’s locale, then the sacred summit must be closer to the Egyptian border fortresses than most of the mountains except Jebel Sin Bisher or perhaps another mountain in western Sinai. The clearest statement regarding this part of the itinerary is found in Dt 1:2, which states that the distance from Horeb (= Sinai) to Kadesh-barnea via Ezion-geber was an eleven-day journey, or about 140 to 150 miles.

33:18-31 None of the sites in the third or fourth cycles can be accurately located. Most of them are unknown to the rest of Scripture, later history, and modern historical geographers.

33:32-41 From Hor-haggidgad to Zalmonah—the fifth cycle includes the death on Mount Hor of the first high priest Aaron, who like Moses was prohibited from entering the promised land because of his rebellion “at the Waters of Meribah” (20:11-13,23-29). The reference to the king of Arad reminds the reader of the victory over the Canaanite armies (21:1-3) that had once defeated Israel soon after the Israelites refused to enter the promised land (14:39-45).

33:42-49 From Punon to the plains of Moab—the sites mentioned in the sixth cycle are in the vicinity of the Arabah south of the Dead Sea and in the Transjordan regions of Edom, Moab, and Ammon.

33:50-56 The seventh and final cycle of victory-march stages would begin from the plains of Moab directly opposite the city of Jericho. This Canaanite city would become the initial victory for the Israelites when they faithfully followed the Lord’s commands to march around the city on successive days (Jos 6).

33:52 These idols were representations of the pagan gods, a record of the perception of reality conceived of by a worshiper or craftsman. Cast images were molten forms (Hb massekoth) of deities from clay or molten metal such as copper or bronze. High places translates the Hebrew bamoth, referring to a cultic worship center, which may or may not indicate an elevated site or structure. All forms of local idolatrous worship were to be eradicated from the land, lest the Israelites be tempted to adopt them.

33:55-56 The statement of conditional judgment of Israel gives evidence of the literary and thematic unity of the Pentateuch, paralleling the message of judgment in Lv 26:14-33 and Dt 28:15-68. Just as God intended for Israel to displace (disinherit) the Canaanites, so he could drive the Israelites from the promised land if they failed to obey his commands.