Num 10:11-36 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Num 10:11-36: 10:11-36 Leaving Sinai was a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. Now the Israelites had the law and would be tested as to how they would keep it. The departure from Sinai was the beginning of the march toward Canaan, though it turned into a long journey (cp. Deut 1:6-8 , 19 ). This passage summarizes the daily procedures on the journey.

Summary for Num 10:11-36: 10:11-36 ^a Leaving Sinai was a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. Now the Israelites had the law and would be tested as to how they would keep it. The departure from Sinai was the beginning of the march toward Canaan, though it turned into a long journey (cp. Deut 1:6-8 ^b, 19 ^c). This passage summarizes the daily procedures on the journey.
10:12 ^d The Israelites marched to the wilderness of Paran, an arid or semi-arid region in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, south of the Negev and west of the Dead Sea/Arabah Rift (cp. Gen 21:21 ^e).
Summary for Num 10:13-28: 10:13-28 ^f The order of march is different here than in 2:3-34 ^g, which specifies that all three clans of Levites were to carry the Tabernacle and its furnishings in the middle of the troop, between the groups headed by Judah and Reuben and the groups headed by Ephraim and Dan. Here, the Gershonites and Merarites carried the components of the Tabernacle structure between Judah and Reuben, and the Kohathites carried the most sacred furniture between Reuben and Ephraim. This useful arrangement allowed time for the Gershonites and Merarites to set up the Tabernacle before the Kohathites arrived with the sacred objects. It also provided security for their special cargo, and it spread the Levites out among the tribes, perhaps enhancing the leavening effect of their influence (cp. Matt 13:33 ^h; 16:6 ⁱ, 11-12 ^j; 1 Cor 5:6-7 ^k).
Summary for Num 10:29-32: 10:29-32 ^l After the trek toward Paran had begun, Moses took the practical step of asking his brother-in-law, Hobab (cp. Judg 4:11 ^m), to join the Israelites as their guide (literally to serve as Israel’s eyes) and so to share in their promised blessings. As a Midianite shepherd, Hobab knew the routes and possible sources of food and water in this region of the Sinai Peninsula.

• Reuel the Midianite: See profile for Jethro (Reuel) at end of chapter.

• my own land and family: Midian was probably in northwestern Arabia. Judges 1:16 ⁿ suggests that Hobab accepted the appeal.
10:33 ^o The mountain of the Lord refers here to Mount Sinai; elsewhere the expression refers to Mount Moriah or Zion in Jerusalem (Gen 22:14 ^p; Ps 24:3 ^q; Isa 2:3 ^r; Zech 8:3 ^s).
10:35 ^t Moses’ invocation, spoken when the Ark set out, acknowledged the Lord as a warrior who would give Israel the Promised Land and called him to fight Israel’s battles (cp. Ps 68:1 ^u).
10:36 ^v This invocation called the Lord to join his people and protect Israel while they camped.

Profile: Jethro (Reuel)
Jethro, also called Reuel (Exod 2:16-18 ^w; Num 10:29 ^x), was “the priest of Midian” (Exod 2:16 ^y). Moses rescued Jethro’s seven daughters from the rough treatment of other shepherds at a well and helped them water their flocks. At home they told their father of this surprising encounter with “an Egyptian.” Jethro responded gratefully by inviting Moses for a meal, and Moses proceeded to settle there. At a later point, Jethro gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
While Moses was still living in Midian near his father-in-law, he encountered God at the burning bush (Exod 3:1-2 ^z). Before leaving for Egypt, Moses asked Jethro’s permission to go; he later sent his family to stay with Jethro during the Exodus.
When Moses and the Israelites were in the wilderness, Jethro returned with Moses’ family. Jethro, having heard of Yahweh’s deliverance of his people from Egypt, acknowledged him as the God of all gods. He worshiped Yahweh with a burnt offering and sacrifices, thereby identifying himself with Israel (18:11 ^aa). In response, Israel’s leaders joined him for “a sacrificial meal in God’s presence” (18:12 ^ab).
Jethro saw that Moses was overwhelmed with caring for the vast numbers of Israelites, so he gave Moses good administrative advice about organizing the people more efficiently and about judging disputes among the people (18:13-23 ^ac). Moses listened to this counsel and appointed able men to assist him as leaders and judges over the people (18:24-27 ^ad). Jethro returned to Midian and seems not to have interacted further with Israel, but his son (Num 10:29-33 ^ae) and other descendants later settled with the Israelites (Judg 1:16 ^af; 4:11 ^ag).

Passages for Further Study
Exod 2:16-25 ^ah; 3:1 ^ai; 18:1-27 ^aj; Num 10:29 ^ak; Judg 1:16 ^al; 4:11 ^am