Numbers 22:1

1 The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho.

Numbers 22:1 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:1

And the children of Israel set forward
From the country of Bashan, where we read of them last, after they had conquered Og the king of it, and also Sihon king of the Amorites, and settled some of their tribes in both kingdoms; the particular place from whence they came hither, according to the account of their journeys, were the mountains of Abarim, ( Numbers 33:48 ) :

and pitched in the plains of Moab
the part of them they encamped in reached from Bethjesimoth to Abelshittim, ( Numbers 33:49 ) ,

on this side Jordan by Jericho;
or Jordan of Jericho, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; a river that flowed near to Jericho, running between the plains of Moab and the plains of Jericho; according to Josephus F21 it was sixty furlongs, or seven miles and a half from Jericho; but, according to Jerome F23, it was but five miles: or rather, as some versions render it, "over against Jericho" F24; for Jericho was on the other side of the river Jordan, and the plains of Moab, or that part of them where Israel now pitched, were right against that city; and so Josephus says F25.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 4.
F23 De locis Heb. fol. 87. G.
F24 (kata iericw) Sept. "ex opposito Heiricho", Tigurine version.
F25 Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect. 1.

Numbers 22:1 In-Context

1 The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho.
2 Balak son of Zippor learned of all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 The people of Moab were in a total panic because of Israel. There were so many of them! They were terrorized.
4 Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: "Look, this mob is going to clean us out - a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean."
5 sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.