perished even unto Dibon. The inference is, that they were some distance apart. I infer that Heshbon was a province, as well as city, and that Dibon lay near its outer borders. Num. xxi. 30.

Nimrah belongs, as above, but it is not regarded as a fenced city. So Elealeh, Sheban, Nebo, Beon, Heshbon. Of these, Heshbon, Elealeh and Nebo, are said to have been built by Reuben as fenced cities-that is, rebuilt as such. Heshbon was the residence of the king, and was of course an important place. When taken it is said to have perished even unto Dibon. Num. xxi. 30, 26.

Of course the same

Nebo is the same as Pisgah. things may be affirmed of it. It overlooked Jeshimon -was one of the places where Balak sacrificed-was the mountain from which Moses looked over the Jordan into the land of Canaan.

150. Aroer was a fenced city, though it is not mentioned on the list of those specially referred to when this country was solicited by Reuben and Gad. It was on the river Arnon, which separated between the Moab of the Amorites and Moab proper. The Israelites are said to have conquered the country, from this place even unto Gilead. Of course these were extreme points. Aroer was the south point and Gilead the north. Deut. ii. 3, 36.

Atroth may be thought the same as Ateroth or Asteroth, but both being on the same list, they must be different. It was a fenced city and belonged to Gad. On the same list belong Shophan, Jogbekah, Beth-nimrah, Beth-haran. But nothing more is said of them. One would be inclined to think that Beth-nimrah and Nimrah are the same. So Beth-peor and Peor are the same, and many other similar instances might be given. Kirjathaim, Baal-meon and Shibmah were fenced cities belonging to Reuben. Num. xxxii. 37, 38.

Jahaz was the place where Sihon met and fought against Israel. It was in the country of the Amorites, or at least not far off. Num. xxi. 23; Deut. ii. 32.

comes under our present head.

151. Ar is called Ar of Moab, and it of course So it is said Ar was given unto the children of Lot. The whole country seems sometimes alluded to under this name. This we have seen is not uncommon. Num. xxi. 26; Deut. ii. 9, 18.

Nophah and Medeba were on the confines of this country. Hence the language, "We laid them waste, even unto Nophah which reacheth unto Medeba." Num. xxi. 30.

Bashan was an important town, the residence of Og the king. Num. xxi. 33.

Edrei was a place where an important battle was fought between Og and the Hebrews. Num. xxi. 33. Pethor was on the confines of the country, near to Midian, to which place the messengers of Balak were sent to meet Balaam. Num. xxii. 5.

Kirjath-huzath was probably the residence of Balak. Hence it is said that Balak, after he had met Balaam, went thither. If so, it belongs to Moab proper, and not to the country of the Amorites. Num. xxii. 39.

Beth-peor, and Baal-peor, we understand as being the same as simply Peor. Deut. iii. 29; iv. 3. It was near to the camp of the Hebrews. Beth, associated with Peor, expresses the idea of a residence. Baal, used in a similar connection, denotes that it was a place where worship was offered to that god. In other words, these designations show that Pecr was regarded as the residence or house of Baal. It was the same place where the Hebrews were seduced into the idolatrous practices of the heathen. It was "over against" this place, where Moses was buried, in a certain valley. Deut. iii. 29; iv. 3; xxxiv. 6.

152. Arnon and Jabbok. These were rivers. The one separated between the country of the Amorites and Moab proper, and the other was the northern boundary of the land of the Amorites, and separated

that country from Gilead. Num. xxi. 24; xxiii. 36. Hence we read of the high places upon the Arnon, referring to high fortresses, situated along the line between the two countries. And also, of Jabbok being strong, occasioned by the fact that it was a boundary line. Num. xxi. 28, 29.

Argob was a general name for a region of country, embracing several cities. It belonged to Og, king of Bashan. Deut. iii. 4, 13.

SECTION VI.-PROMISCUOUS REFERENCES.

153. It appears that the Israelites did not confine their conquests to the country of the Amorites, south of the Jabbok, but extended them into Gilead. Ramoth was a city of refuge in Gilead. Bezer was another city in the wilderness and plain country, and seems to have been in the portion assigned to Reuben. Deut. iv. 43; iii. 16. Golan was another city of refuge, apparently in the portion assigned to Manasseh. Deut. iii. 10, 13; iv. 43.

Geshuri and Maachathi are alluded to as the limits of the conquests of Jair in one direction, I should think the east. Jair was a Hebrew captain, and his conquests he named Bashan-havoth-jair. Deut. iii. 14.

154. Rabbath was in the land of Ammon; and this Ammon, it will be remembered, was the other son of Lot. His dominions, that so far do not appear to have been very large, lay in a northerly direction from the land of the Amorites. It seems that these two sons had their possessions adjoining each other, till the Amorites came and conquered the country between them. Deut. iii. 11.

Speaking of the utmost limits of the conquests of the Israelites, it is said, they took from the Amorites all the land east of the Jordan, from Arnon to Mt. Hermon. The Amorite name for Hermon was Shenir. The Sidonian name was Sirion. The same is called Sion; that may be an abridgment of Sirion. Deut. iii. 9.

All the cities of the plain and all Gilead and all Bashan, were taken by them, unto Salchah and Edrei. Deut. iii. 10.

Nobah took possession of Kenath and the villages thereof, and called them after his own name.

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155. There is a reference to the "sea of the plain," meaning doubtless the Dead Sea. It was under the springs of Pisgah." So Zoar is referred to as a south point of Canaan. So Chinnereth is made a northern point, and the salt sea a southern. Ashdoth-pisgah was probably the same as Pisgah. The salt sea is said to be under it or at its base. Deut. iii. 17; iv. 49; xxxiv. 3.

Kedemoth is mentioned as the place from which Moses sent messengers to Sihon, to ask permission to go through his country. We may conclude it was not far from the boundary. Deut. ii. 26.

Beth-jesimoth and Abel-shittim. The camp of Israel extended from one of these places to the other, while they were in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, near Jericho. We have elsewhere suggested that Beth-jesimoth and Jeshimon were the same place. So Abel-shittim and Shittim are obviously the same. The latter name also denotes the place where the Hebrews were encamped. Num. xxv. 1.

156. Balaam is said to have come from Aram. How could that be, since he is regarded as a Midianite? His coming from Aram is probably a sheer pretence, or he might have been formerly from Aram, but more recently from Midian. That country was much farther off than Midian. It is the same as Padan-aram, of which we read in Genesis. Num. xxiii. 7.

Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizhabah are incidentally alluded to. Paran was the name of a wilderness several times before alluded to. Hazeroth may be the same as Hazerim, the dwelling-place of a race of giants, called Avims. Dizhabah appears to be the Dinhabah mentioned in Genesis among the cities

of Edom. The others, Tophel and Laban, we know nothing about from other passages. Deut. i. 6; ii. 23.

Azzah is spoke of in connection with Hazerim above. Deut. ii. 23. Caphtor is said to have been the residence of the Caphtorim, who conquered the Avims above named.

157. A number of general divisions, as well as a large number of cities, are mentioned in this part of the Bible. Egypt is too well known to require description. Midian could not have been far from Mt. Sinai, as Moses visited that mountain while keeping the flocks of Jethro, in Midian. It is known, also, that Jethro visited Moses, while the latter was stopping at Sinai, but the exact locality of Midian does not appear. It was obviously some distance east of Sinai, as the armies of Israel are not spoken of as coming far back from Moab, when they made the conquest of Midian. Mt. Seir and Edom are the same. took its name, Seir, from the former king of the country. It took the name of Edom from Esau, who obtained it from Seir, and one of whose names was Edom. The former inhabitants were called Hori or Horim, from Hori, one of the descendants of Seir. The descendants of Esau or Edom, were called Edomites. Deut. ii. 4, 8, 12; compare Gen. xxxvi.

It

158. The country of Moab took its name from Moab, one of the sons of Lot. Its former inhabitants were called Emims, and were said to be of gigantic stature. Deut. ii. 9-11.

Ammon was so called from another son of Lot. Its former inhabitants were called Zamzummims. Deut. ii. 19-21. All these the Hebrews were instructed not to molest in their journey to Canaan. It appears that Edom was farthest west, and hence they came to that first. Next, east to Edom, was Moab. And the Hebrews were compelled to go round the southern borders of these countries, and come toward Canaan from