Numbers 33:49

 Numbers 33:49

And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.

a. NLT:  Along the Jordan River they camped from Beth-jeshimoth as far as the meadows of Acacia[fn] on the plains of Moab. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And they encamped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And they encamp by the Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth, unto Abel-Shittim, in the plains of Moab.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: And they encamped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: They encamped by the Jordan, from beth-jeshimoth until the plains of Shittim, in the plains of Moab.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. The Israel Bible: They encamped by the Yarden from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim, in the stepps of Moab.  [The English Translation was adapted by Israel 365 from the JPS Tanakh. Copyright Ⓒ 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved.]

g. NIV: There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.”

a. [And they] pitched [Strong: 2583 chanah khaw-naw' a primitive root (Compare 2603); properly, to incline; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.]

b. by [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

c. Jordan [Strong: 3383 Yarden yar-dane' from 3381; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of Palestine:--Jordan.]

d. [from] Bethjesimoth [Strong: 1020 Beyth ha-Yshiy-mowth bayth hah-yesh-ee-moth' from 1004 and the plural of 3451 with the article interposed; house of the deserts; Beth-ha- Jeshimoth, a town East of the Jordan:--Beth-jeshimoth.]

e. [even] unto [Strong: 5704 `ad ad properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.]

f. Abelshittim [Strong: 63 'Abel hash-Shittiym aw-bale' hash-shit-teem' from 58 and the plural of 7848, with the article inserted; meadow of the acacias; Abel hash- Shittim, a place in Palestine:--Abel-shittim.]

g. [in the] plains [Strong: 6160 `arabah ar-aw-baw' from 6150 (in the sense of sterility); a desert; especially (with the article prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of the Jordan and its continuation to the Red Sea:--Arabah, champaign, desert, evening, heaven, plain, wilderness.

h. [of] Moab [Strong: 4124 Mow'ab mo-awb from a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m- and 1; from (her (the mother's)) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants:--Moab.]

1). 1). This was the 41st move. Numbers 33:48, 49 are describing the same move. 

a). Numbers 33:48, 49 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. 

33:49 And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.

2). This campsite was about 15 miles from the walls of Jericho, with the Jordan river in between. This means that everything recorded in Scripture, from Numbers 22:1 until Joshua 2:24 occurred at Shittim which is about 15-17 miles from the walls of Jericho. This includes the episode with Balaam in Numbers 22-24, the idolatrous fornication with the Midianite women in Numbers 25 and the war with the Midianites in Numbers 31 all occur while Israel is camped about 17 miles from Jericho. The citizens of Jericho had witnessed all these things but probably most important of all they witnessed God’s presence with them through the cloudy pillar during the day and the pillar of fire at night.

a). Numbers 14:14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.

3). Don Costello: Israel wandered in the desert 40 years, I believe it includes the approximate 1½ years from the night of the Exodus in Exodus 12:37-42 to the point in Numbers 12:16, where the spies were sent forth. During this study I learned that the Biblical material of Exodus 12, the night of the Exodus from Egypt to Numbers 13 &14, the sending of the spies and subsequent unbelief and rebellion of Israel comprise a time period of about 1½ years. I learned that the Biblical material from Numbers 20:1 to Joshua 3 comprises another time period of about 1½  years, and includes the deaths of Miriam (Numbers 20:1), Aaron (Numbers 20:22-29),  and Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5, 6). This leaves the 5 chapters of Numbers 15-19:22 to fit in 37 approximate years. Although in Numbers 33:19 it records Israel leaving the area where the rebellion took place, after the rebellion of Numbers 13 and 14, the next time it records them moving is Numbers 20:1. The only problem is that it is approximately 38 and a half years later. Inside those 5 chapters of Numbers are a few offerings listed (Numbers 15), the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16, the budding of Aaron’s rod in Numbers 17, signifying again that God chose Aaron and his sons in the Priesthood. In Numbers 18 it gives some duties of the Levites, and further instructions about tithing. In Numbers 19 it gives some commandments concerning purifying the unclean. Let me say it again in different terms. In Numbers 12:16 through Numbers 20:1 it says Israel moved one time, and that is from where Israel rebelled in Rithma/wilderness of Paran/Kadesh to the wilderness of Zin where Miriam died. Yet in Numbers 33:19-36 it records Israel moving 18 times in between those destinations in Numbers 12:16 and Numbers 20:1. In those 18 times you have 38 and a half years. In Numbers 12:16 they arrive at the wilderness of Paranwhere they send forth the spies. In that chronology the next time it mentions them moving is Numbers 20:1 where they move to the desert of Zin Kadesh. Between Numbers 12:16 and Numbers 20:1 according to Numbers 33:19-36 they moved 18 times and lived 38 and a half years. Other than the few historic Biblical events in Numbers 15-20:1, the events listed above, there is nothing recorded about those 38½ years. NOTHING! In early January of 2013 me and Missy were listening to a series by John Bevere entitled Honors’ Reward . In that series he made the statement that in Numbers 14 when Israel refused to believe God about going into the Promised Land, they lost their calling. On Sunday morning 1/20/13 as I was putting on the finishing touches of my message I was going to teach at church that morning, John Bevere’s statement combined with the awareness of my previous study concerning the brevity of Scripture concerning that generation finally dawned on me. This group of Israelites was called by God to be the people prophesied by the Hebrew fathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses to go into the Promised Land, but because of their unbelief, they were denied by God and sentenced to wander in the desert for forty years, until everyone in that generation died. They lost their calling. What is even more profound to me is that there is very little written of them and what is written contains nothing good. What a sobering thought.