Albert Barnes Commentary Numbers 33:1-49

"These are the journeys of the children of Israel, when they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the hand of Moses and Aaron. And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of Jehovah: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. And they journeyed 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 a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians, while the Egyptians were burying all their first-born, whom Jehovah had smitten among them: upon their gods also Jehovah executed judgments. And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth. And they journeyed from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon: and they encamped before Migdol. And they journeyed from before Hahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness: and they went three days` journey in the wilderness of Etham, and encamped in Marah. And they journeyed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees; and they encamped there. And they journeyed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea. And they journeyed from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah. And they journeyed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. And they journeyed from Alush, and encamped in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink. And they journeyed from Rephidim, and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in Kibroth-hattaavah. And they journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah, and encamped in Hazeroth. And they journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in Rithmah. And they journeyed from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon-perez. And they journeyed from Rimmon-perez, and encamped in Libnah. And they journeyed from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. And they journeyed from Rissah, and encamped in Kehelathah. And they journeyed from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shepher. And they journeyed from mount Shepher, and encamped in Haradah. And they journeyed from Haradah, and encamped in Makheloth. And they journeyed from Makheloth, and encamped in Tahath. And they journeyed from Tahath, and encamped in Terah. And they journeyed from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah. And they journeyed from Mithkah, and encamped in Hashmonah. And they journeyed from Hashmonah, and encamped in Moseroth. And they journeyed from Moseroth, and encamped in Bene-jaakan. And they journeyed from Bene-jaakan, and encamped in Hor-haggidgad. And they journeyed from Hor-haggidgad, and encamped in Jotbathah. And they journeyed from Jotbathah, and encamped in Abronah. And they journeyed from Abronah, and encamped in Ezion-geber. And they journeyed from Ezion-geber, and encamped in the wilderness of Zin (the same is Kadesh). And they journeyed from Kadesh, and encamped in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom. And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of Jehovah, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel. And they journeyed from mount Hor, and encamped in Zalmonah. And they journeyed from Zalmonah, and encamped in Punon. And they journeyed from Punon, and encamped in Oboth. And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped in Iye-abarim, in the border of Moab. And they journeyed from Iyim, and encamped in Dibon-gad. And they journeyed from Dibon-gad, and encamped in Almon-diblathaim. And they journeyed from Almon-diblathaim, and encamped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. And they journeyed from the mountains of Abarim, and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. And they encamped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab." — Numbers 33:1-49 (ASV)

This list was written out by Moses at God’s command (Numbers 33:2), doubtless as a memorial of God’s providential care for His people throughout this long and trying period.

(Numbers 33:3–6)

For these places, see the marginal reference.

(Numbers 33:8)

Pi-hahiroth – Hebrew “Hahiroth,” but perhaps only by an error of transcription. However, the omitted “pi” is only a common Egyptian prefix.

Wilderness of Etham – i.e., that part of the great wilderness of Shur which adjoined Etham (compare to Exodus 15:22 note).

The list of stations up to that at Sinai agrees with the narrative of Exodus, except that we have here mentioned an encampment by the Red Sea (Numbers 33:10), and two others, Dophkah and Alush (Numbers 33:12–14), which are omitted there. On these places, see the Exodus 17:1 note.

(Numbers 33:16–17)

See the Numbers 11:35 note.

(Numbers 33:18)

Rithmah – The name of this station is derived from retem, the broom-plant, the “juniper” of the King James Version. This must be the same encampment as that which is said in Numbers 13:26 to have been at Kadesh.

(Numbers 33:19)

Rimmon-parez – Or rather Rimmon-perez, i.e., “Rimmon (i.e., the Pomegranate) of the Breach.” It may have been here that the sedition of Korah occurred.

(Numbers 33:19–36)

The stations named are those visited during the years of penal wandering. The determination of their positions is, in many cases, difficult, because during this period there was no definite line of march pursued.

But it is probable that the Israelites during this period did not overstep the boundaries of the wilderness of Paran (as defined in Numbers 10:12), except to pass along the adjoining valley of the Arabah, while the tabernacle and organized camp moved about from place to place among them .

Rissah, Haradah, and Tahath are probably the same as Rasa, Aradeh, and Elthi of the Roman tables. The position of Hashmonah in the Azazimeh mountains points out the road followed by the children of Israel to be that which skirts the southwestern extremity of Jebel Magrah.

(Numbers 33:34)

Ebronah – i.e., “passage.” This station apparently lay on the shore of the Elanitic gulf, at a point where the ebb of the tide left a ford across. Hence, the later Targum renders the word as “fords.”

(Numbers 33:35)

Ezion-gaber – “Giant’s backbone.” The Wady Ghadhyan, a valley running eastward into the Arabah some miles north of the present head of the Elanitic gulf.

A salt marsh which here overspreads a portion of the Arabah may be taken as indicating the limit to which the sea anciently reached; and we may thus infer the existence here in former times of an extensive tidal haven, at the head of which the city of Ezion-geber stood.

Here it was that from the time of Solomon onward the Jewish navy was constructed (1 Kings 9:26; 1 Kings 22:49).

(Numbers 33:41–49)

Zalmonah and Punon are stations on the Pilgrim’s road; and the general route is fairly ascertained by a comparison of these verses with Numbers 21:4 and following.