John Gill

If a woman marries while under a vow or rash promise by which she has bound herself,

“And if she had at all an husband with whom she vowed,.... Or "when her vows were upon her" (w), was either betrothed or married to a man: or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; uttered anything, either with or…”

If a woman in her husband’s house has made a vow or put herself under an obligation with an oath,

“And if she vowed in her husband's house,.... Before his death, in his lifetime, or before divorced: the Targum of Jonathan adds, by way of explanation, "and not at age for marriage", understanding it of a betrothed, and not a married person; but Jarchi says…”

Send into battle a thousand men from each tribe of Israel.”

“Of every tribe a thousand,.... So that the whole number of those that were armed were 12,000 as after given: throughout all the tribes of Israel; this is observed, as Jarchi thinks, to comprehend the tribe of Levi, which in some cases was left out…”

Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments,

“And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, &c. ) So far as they went into the country, which, perhaps, might not be the whole land of Midian: and all their goodly castles with fire; which were either the palaces of their princes and…”

but spare for yourselves every girl who has never had relations with a man.

“But all the women children,.... The females among the little ones: that have not known a man by lying with him; which might be pretty clear, and easily concluded, from their age: keep for yourselves; either to be handmaids to them, or to be married…”

Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.

“And divide the prey into two parts,.... Into two equal parts, both the number of the people and of the cattle, when taken: between them that took the war upon them, and went out to battle; the soldiers; and by this it appears that they…”

So Moses and Eleazar the priest received from them all the articles made out of gold.

“And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them,.... For it seems the several things before mentioned were all of gold: even all wrought jewels; or "vessels of work" (h) or wrought vessels, or instruments, "chains, bracelets", &c.”

All the gold that the commanders of thousands and of hundreds presented as an offering to the LORD weighed 16,750 shekels.

“And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the Lord,.... The whole amount, weight, and value of it put together: even of the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and perhaps of every common soldier, who might contribute his…”

Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself.

“For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself. And which he kept for himself, and did not deliver in with the prey or booty, which was brought to Moses and Eleazar, the sum of which was taken by them; and this…”

So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the family leaders of the tribes of Israel.

“So concerning them Moses commanded,.... That they should have a grant of the land they requested: this looks as if Moses determined the case himself, though perhaps it was by the vote, and with the consent of the whole court; only Moses strictly enjoined them…”

The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do.

“And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered,...., The word is in the singular number, and shows their unanimity, that they agreed to what Moses said, and replied all of them as one man, as Jarchi expresses it; and it may be…”

Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.

“And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities,.... The first of these is the same with Nimrah, Num 32:3, and the other is the same with Betharam, Jos 13:27, it is called in the Jerusalem Talmud (r), Bethramtha, and so by the Syrians, Bethramphta; and to the…”

So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.

“And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh,.... That is, to the children of Machir, who went and took it; though some say, as Aben Ezra observes, that Machir himself was now alive, and that it was given to him, but that is…”

Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages and called them Havvoth-jair.

“And Jair the son of Manasseh,.... By his mother's side, otherwise he was of the family of Judah; for Hezron, of the family of Judah, married a daughter of Machir, the son of Manasseh, by whom he had a son called Segub, who was the…”

On the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the Israelites set out from Rameses.

“And they departed from Rameses,.... A city in Egypt, where the children of Israel, a little before their departure, seem to have been gathered together in a body, in order to march out all together, as they did.”

They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.

“And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham,.... Which was eight miles from Succoth: which is in the edge of the wilderness; of the name, see Exo 13:20 but Dr.”

They set out from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the sea, into the wilderness, and they journeyed three days into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.

“And they departed from before Pihahiroth,.... Being forced by Pharaoh's army pressing upon them: and passed through the midst of the sea; from shore to shore, as on dry laud: into the wilderness: that part of it which lay on the other side, for still…”

They set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.

“And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea. This encampment, is omitted in the book of Exodus, see Exo 16:1 this part or arm of the Red sea, whither they came, was six miles from Elim.”

They set out from the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

“And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin,.... According to the account in Exodus, this was after they had the manna given them, see Exo 17:1.”

They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.

“And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. The strong fort, as the Targum of Jonathan calls it; this was twelve miles from Dophkah: according to the Jewish chronology (d), this Alush is the wilderness of Sin, where the Israelites came on the fifteenth…”

They set out from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.

“And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai. Eight miles from Rephidim; and from a mount of this name here were given the decalogue, with all other statutes and ordinances, judicial and ceremonial, and orders and directions for building the tabernacle…”

They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

“And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth. Eight miles from Kibrothhattaavah, where Miriam was smote with leprosy, Num 12:1.”

They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

“And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth. Thirty two miles from Hashmonah. In Deu 10:6 it is called Mosera; and according to the account there, they came hither from the following place, Benejaakan; probably they went first thither from Hashmonah, and then from…”

Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

“And Aaron was one hundred and twenty three years old when he died in Mount Hor. He was eighty three when he stood before Pharaoh, Exo 7:7, and forty years he had been with Israel since, which make this number; he was three years older…”

They set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad.

“And they departed from Ijim, and pitched in Dibongad. Sixteen miles from Ijim; the remove from whence is said to be to the valley of Zared, Num 21:12 in which Dibongad was, so called perhaps because rebuilt by Gad afterwards.”