 |
|
First Reading, Second Reading, Third Reading, Fourth Reading, Fifth Reading, Sixth Reading, Seventh Reading, Last Reading |
 |
First Reading, Second Reading, Third Reading, Fourth Reading, Fifth Reading, Sixth Reading, Seventh Reading, Last Reading |
Chukat |  |
|
| | 21:11 |
From Ovoth they moved on and camped in the desolate passes along Moab's eastern border.
Vayis'u me'Ovot vayachanu be'Iyey ha'Avarim bamidbar asher al-pney Moav mimizrach hashamesh. |
| 21:12 |
They then continued and camped along the Zered Brook.
Misham nasa'u vayachanu benachal Zared. |
|
Commentary:
desolate passes
(Saadia; Rashi; Rashbam). Or, 'travelers' passes' (Targum). Or, 'ruins of Avarim,' speaking of the area of Mount Nebo (see Numbers 27:12, 33:47, Deuteronomy 32:49; Rashi; Chizzkuni). The Septuagint has Achal Ai.
| along Moab's eastern border
They did not enter Moab's land, because God had told them not to fight against Moab (Deuteronomy 2:9). See Judges 11:17.
| Zered Brook
This is the river that flows into the south-east end of the Dead Sea. It forms the southern border of Moab. The area of the Zered was most probably conquered earlier by Edom and taken from Moab (see Genesis 36:35). From the context, it appears that the Israelites were at the eastern extreme of the Zered. Some say that the crossing of the Zered is not recorded in Numbers 33 (Lekach Tov), but others identify the place of crossing with Divon Gad in Numbers 33:45 (Baaley Tosafoth; Chizzkuni). This may have been Divon (Numbers 21:30), which later became a city of Gad (Numbers 32:34). Some say that this stop along the Zered is also to be identified with Vahabh and Matanah (Numbers 21:14,18; Adereth Eliahu). It was while the Israelites were on the Zered that the last of the generation of the Exodus died, as we see in Deuteronomy 2:14 (Adereth Eliahu). According to tradition, this was on 15 Av, just 15 days after Aaron's death (Numbers 33:38,39; Taanith 30b). According to some, none of these people died during the last year, but it was not until 15 Av that they realized that the decree had come to an end (Eikhah
Rabbah, Introduction 33; Rashi, Taanith 30b; Tosafoth ibid., s.v. Yom). See Numbers 20:1.
|
|
Navigating the Bible
