NUMBERS. The Book of Numbers is the third of the Pentateuque. The Hebrews call it Vajedabber1, and he spoke, because in the Hebrew it begins with these Words. Some Jews call it Bemiddebar g in the Desert, because it includes the History of what passed during the thirty-nine Years of the Israelites journeying in the Wilderness. Lastly, the Greeks, and after them the Latins, call it the Book of Numbers, because the three first Chapters contain the numbering of the Hebrews and Levites, which e —— Ἀνὰ ῥῖνας δέ οἱ ἤδη Δειμὺ μῆδος περῢτυψε. Homer. Odyss. xxiv. Οἱ ἀεὶ δελμεῖαι χολὰ ποτὶ ῥινὶ κάθηται. Theocrit. f וידברVajedabber. g במדברBemiddebar. was performed separately after the Erection and Consecration of the Tabernacle.
The People having departed from Sinai on the twentieth Day of the second Month of the second Year after their coming out of Egypt2, went to the Wilderness of Paran, and thence to Kadesh, from whence they sent Commissioners to view the Land of Promise. At their Return the People were discouraged, and fell into Murmuring and Discontent; for which God condemn’d them to die in the Desart, and swore they should not enter into the Land which he had promised to their Fathers. Thus after having continued a good while at Kadesh-barnea, they returned back again; and having journey’d for thirty-nine Years in the Wilderness, they arrived at last at the Plains of Moab, beyond Jordan. All that happen’d during this Interval is to be read in the Book of Numbers. There are found the Wars of Moses with the Kings Sehon and Og, and that of the Midianites, to punish them for sending their Daughters into the Camp of Israel, and thereby tempting the People to Fornication and Idolatry. We there read of several Laws given by Moses during these thirty-nine Years, and of the many Murmurings of the Israelites, and the several Punishments which the Lord inflicted on them for the same.
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