Numbers 10:11-36 comments: the wilderness of Paran

 

Numbers 10:11 ¶  And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. 12  And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran. 13  And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 14  In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar. 16  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. 17  And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle. 18  And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 21  And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came. 22  And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni. 25  And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran. 27  And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28  Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.

 

Ishmael dwelt in the wilderness of Paran (Genesis 20:20, 21). David would go there with his men after Samuel died and meet Abigail and Nabal in 1Samuel 25:1-3.

Numbers 10:29 ¶  And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel. 30  And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. 31  And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. 32  And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee. 33  And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. 34  And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. 35  And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 36  And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.

 

Moses asks his brother-in-law to go with them into the Promised Land. The father-in-law is called Jethro and Reuel elsewhere, one of which could be a title rather than just a name. Raguel seems to be an alternative spelling of Reuel from Exodus 2:18. The King James translators placed different spellings of words into the text perhaps, as some have said, to acknowledge the variants written by ancient Jewish sources. See comments on Genesis 32:24-32 for comments on Peniel and Penuel or Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadrezzar in 2Kings 24:1 and Jeremiah 21:2.

Back to Hobab, there is some confusion as to his identity due to the statement here in verse 29 and then in Judges 4:11.

Judges 4:11  Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

 

Commentators are constantly discussing the question of whether Hobab is the father-in-law of Moses or the brother-in-law of Moses. Arguments are made regarding the translation of words, errors in transmission or translating, etc. etc. But, let me put forward another ancient idea that preceded our modern understanding. As I pointed out previous from De Coulanges studies, the eldest son inherited family religion and responsibilities from the father. We could also say that the son, due to his position in the family, represented the father and, in fact, was regarded in authority and importance the same as the father if even in fact he did not have the actual legal power of the father or if at that time could dispose of his family’s goods as the father could, that is, until the father’s death at which time the son took the father’s place. It might seem a trifle careless but the Holy Spirit could place Hobab in Judges 4:11 as the father-in-law of Moses, perhaps, as he assumed that role upon the death of Jethro.

If you think that is a stretch ask yourself why in ancient times would not scribes “correct” the text in Judges to line it up with Numbers if they did not already have an understanding that nothing was contradictory about this.

There is also another obvious conclusion. Hobab the son could have been named after his father with Jethro being a title, priest, Hobab being another name for the father, a name shared by the son. Muslims believe that the Hobab in Judges 4:11 is another name for Jethro which then makes the problem stay in Numbers 10:29. I disagree.

My conclusion has a direct relation to Christ’s parable of the husbandmen in Matthew 21 regarding the authority of a son and the relationship of God the Father with Israel as His firstborn as per …

Exodus 4:22  And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

 

…and with Christ as the Son of God…

 

John 10:30  I and my Father are one.

 

John 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him…9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

 

I bring this up to point out the importance of understanding the ancient notion of a son’s position within the family as representing the father himself and, upon receiving his inheritance in fact, taking the father’s place.