Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Numbers 33:18
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched at Rithmah.] Eight miles from Hazeroth: Rethem, from whence this place seems to have had its name, is generally rendered by “juniper”, (<111904>1 Kings 19:4,5) and the Targum of Jonathan here adds, where the juniper trees grew; and, perhaps, it is the same with the valley of Retheme, of which some travellers f481 thus write, “this valley”, called in the Hebrew Retheme, and commonly Ritma, derives its name from a yellow flower, with which the valley is covered; we found here, on the left hand, two cisterns of excellent water; and water being to be had here, might be the reason of the Israelites pitching in this place. Some learned men f482 think it is the same with Kadeshbarnea, from whence the spies were sent, that being the next remove from Hazeroth, as this was; (see <041216>Numbers 12:16 13:26 32:8 <050214> Deuteronomy 2:14 <061407>Joshua 14:7), with which agrees the remark of Jarchi, that this place was so called, because of the evil tongue of the spies, as it is said, (<19C003>Psalm 120:3,4) “what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper”; alluding to the signification of Rithmah; perhaps this is the same place, which by Josephus f483 is called Dathema, and so in the Apocrypha: “Then the heathen that were at Galaad assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters, to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of Dathema.” (1 Maccabees 5:9) Ver. 19-29. And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez.] Six miles from Rithmah, and then from Rimmon to Libnah, which was six miles also; and from thence to Rissah, which was six miles more; and from Rissah to, Kehelathah, which was the same number of miles; and from thence to Shapher, which was six miles also; and then they came to Haradah, which was four miles from thence; the next remove was to Makheloth, which was four miles and a half from the last place; then they went to Tahath, which was four miles more; and from thence to Tarah, which also was four miles; the next place they came to was Mithcah, four miles from Tarah; and then to Hashmonah, which was eight miles more. Ver. 30-31. And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.] Thirty two miles from Hashmonah. In (<051006>Deuteronomy 10:6) it is called Mosera; and according to the account there, they came hither from the following place, Benejaakan; probably they went first thither from Hashmonah, and then from Mosera or Moserot, and so to Benejaakan again, going backwards and forwards, so Jarchi; the distance of the two places was twenty four miles; for the further reconciliation this, (see Gill on “<051006>Deuteronomy 10:6”) and the Samaritan version there. Ver. 32-37. And they removed from Benejaakan, and encamped at Horhagidgad.] In the Targum Jonathan called Gudgod, as it is Gudgodah in (<051007>Deuteronomy 10:7), where the remove to this place is said to be from Mosera; it was twenty miles from Benejaaken; from thence they went to Jotbathah, twenty four miles from Horhagidgad; and from thence to Ebronah, twenty miles more; and so to Eziongeber, of which (see <110926>1 Kings 9:26) which was twenty eight miles from Ebrorah; and their next remove was to the wilderness of Zin, which was Kadesh, forty eight miles from Eziongeber; and from Kadesh they went to Mount Hor, forty eight miles more: which was in the edge of the land of Edom; as Kadesh also was; (see <042016>Numbers 2…
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