VI. forwards, and pitched in the plains of Moab, on this (i. e. the sECT. east) fide of Jordan by Jericho. Now this encampment, as it is the laft (mentioned in any other chapter) of them that' were made in the life of Mofes, so it is apparently the fame with the last encampment mentioned Num. xxxiii. that being also faid ver. 48. to be in the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho. In short therefore the encampment on the other fide of Arnon, Num. xxi. 13. being probably the fame which is more particularly fpecified Num. xxxiii. 45. by the encampment there faid to be at Dibon-Gad; and the last encampment mentioned Num. xxii. 1. agreeing very well with the last encampment mentioned Num. xxxiii. 48. as being both faid to be in the plains of Moab by Jordan; hence it follows, that the intermediate encampments both in the one and the other places must have been between the two encampments already mentioned, viz. between the rivers Arnon and Jordan, or more particularly between Dibon-Gad and the plains of Moab by Jordan over against Jericho. Certainly to determine the order of these intermediate encampments, is impoffible in refpect of the fhort account we have of them in both places of Scripture. What seems to be probable in the matter is this: That the Ifraelites having croffed the river Arnon, first encamped at Dibon-Gad, lying in the wilderness; then at Beer, i. e. the Well, which God was pleased to discover to them, being in a great ftreight for water in that wilderness; then at Almon-diblathaim, lying in the edge of the fame wilderness; then at Mattanah; then at Nahaliel, a word which taken appellatively denotes the rivers or brooks of God; and fo perhaps named, because here the Ifraelites began to meet with a country better watered than they had done in their journeys hitherto, namely, watered with several rivulets or streams iffuing from the neighbouring mountains, and running into the river Arnon, or the river Jordan. From Nahaliel the Ifraelites decamping, they seem to have encamped next in the mountainous tract of Abarim, and in this tract to have had two particular encampments, one at Bamoth (which probably enough may be the fame place with that called, Josh. xiii. 17. Bamoth-baal, or the high places of Ꭲ 2 Baal), II. CHAP. Baal), and the other afterwards nearer Jordan, at that part (or parts) of the mountains of Abarim, which was particu larly called Nebo and Pisgah. Hence they moved, and encamped in the plains of Moab, between Beth-jeshimoth_and Abel-fhittim, which is the last encampment mentioned in either of the chapters we are speaking of, or in the whole Mofaick history, as being the last made during the life of Mofes. To conclude this chapter concerning the encampments of the Ifraelites. From comparing Num. xxxiii. with other chapters, where fome of the journeys of the Ifraelites are taken notice of, it seems very probable, that though in Num.. xxxiii. Mofes profeffes to give an account of the journeys of the Ifraelites; yet he is not thereby to be understood, as if he there defigned to give an account of all the particular places, where they made any halt or stay, only for a fingle night or day, or the like; but only of such places where they encamped, i. e. ftayed for fome confiderable time. And thus I have gone through what I judged requifite to observe concerning the journeys of the Ifraelites from Ramefes in the land of Egypt, to the eaft fide of the river Jordan, during the life of Moses. СНАР. CHA P. III. Of the Country beyond Jordan, i. e. on the East of Jordan, which was divided by Mofes between the two Tribes of Reuben and Gad, and one half of the Tribe of Manaffeh. TH I. The coun HE Ifraelites having fubdued Sihon and Og, the two Kings of the Amorites, beyond or on the eaft of Jor- try beyond dan, Mofes divided their country (from its fituation in refpect Jordan, by whom pofof the land of Canaan, called by the Greeks Peræa, i. e. the feffed fuccountry beyond Jordan) between the two tribes of Reuben ceffively. and Gad, and one half of the tribe of Manaffeh. And because it will be of good ufe for the clearer understanding of the facred History, I shall briefly premise here a short account of the several mafters, under whom these countries fucceffively were, as far forth as may be gathered from Scripture; and fo fhall have opportunity to take notice by the way of the lands of Moab and Ammon. I have in the former Part of the Geography of the Old Teftament obferved, that it is generally agreed, that upon the first plantation of the earth after the flood, as great part of Mefopotamia, and the adjoining parts of what was called by the Greeks and Latins Syria, fell to the lot and poffeffion of Aram, one of the fons of Sem; fo Uz, one of the fons of Aram, fettled himself in the parts of Syria about Damascus ; and so these parts beyond Jordan, of which we are now speaking, were probably at firft poffeffed by the defcendants of Uz. Whence it is, I think, most probably thought by many ancient as well as modern writers, that the land of Uz, mentioned in the book of Job, is to be understood of the country lying originally between Damascus to the north, and the plantation of Cufh or Arabia to the fouth, and the land of Canaan to the weft, and Arabia Deferta to the east. 2. Firft, as is probable, by the defcen dants of Uz. 3. Then by the But be this as it will, in procefs of time, namely, at the time when Abraham firft fojourned in the land of Canaan, Rephaim, we find that this country was poffeffed by the Rephaim, Zu- Zurim, and zim or Zamzummim, and the Emims; names, which all of Emims. |