that the words in Num 21:1, “came by the way of the spies,” are a permutation of those in Num 20:1, “came into the desert of Zin,” and that the two perfectly coincide as to time, is forced; as the Israelites are described in Num 20:1 not only as coming into the desert of Zin in general, but as assembling together there at Kadesh.
Modern critics (Knobel and others) have also mutilated these chapters, and left only Num 20:1 (in part,), 2, 6, 22-29, Num 21:10-11; Num 22:1, as parts of the original work, whilst all the rest is described as a Jehovistic addition, partly from ancient sources and partly from the invention of the Jehovist himself. But the supposed contradiction - viz., that whilst the original work describes the Israelites as going through northern Edom, and going round the Moabitish territory in the more restricted sense, the Jehovist represents them as going round the land of Edom upon the west, south, and east (Num 20:21; Num 21:4), and also as going round the land of the Arnon in a still larger circle, and past other places as well (Num 21:12, Num 21:16, Num 21:18), - rests upon a false interpretation of the passages in question. The other arguments adduced - viz., the fact that the Jehovist gives great prominence to the hatred of the Edomites (Num 20:18, Num 20:20) and interweaves poetical sentences (Num 21:14, Num 21:15, Num 21:17, Num 21:18, Num 21:27, Num 21:28), the miraculous rod in Moses' hand (Num 20:8), and the etymology (Num 21:3), - are all just arguing in a circle, since the supposition that all these things are foreign to the original work, is not a fact demonstrated, but a simple petitio principii.)
Chap. 20
Verse 1
Assembling of the Congregation at Kadesh. - In the first month the children of Israel came into the desert of Zin, i.e., in the fortieth year of their wanderings, at the commencement of which “the whole congregation” assembled together once more in the very same place where the sentence had been passed thirty-seven years and a half before, that they should remain in the desert for forty years, until the rebellious generation had died out. The year is not mentioned in Num 20:1, but, according to Num 14:32., it can only be the year with which the forty years of the sentence that they should die out in the wilderness came to an end, that is to say, the fortieth year of their wandering. This is put beyond all doubt by what follows. For the whole congregation proceeds from Kadesh in the desert of Zin to Mount Hor, where Aaron died, and that, according to Num 33:38, in the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Exodus from Egypt. Miriam died during the time that the people were staying (ישׁב) in Kadesh, and there she was buried.
verses 2-5
Sin of Moses and Aaron at the Water of Strife at Kadesh. - In the arid desert the congregation was in want of water, and the people quarrelled with Moses in consequence. In connection with the first stay in Kadesh there is nothing said about any deficiency of water. But as the name Kadesh embraces a large district of the desert of Zin, and is not confined to one particular spot, there might easily be a want of water in this place or
