Chap. VIII Of Israels Pitching Their Tents, or of Their Camps
Whiles the Israelites wandred thorow the Wilderness, their Church was a Tabernacle; and their habitations, Tents: so that their whole Camp might be termed a moveable City. It was divided into three parts. In the centre or middle of all was the Tabernacle it self, with its Courts, this they termed the Camp of the Divine Majesty. Next round about, pitcht the Priests and Levites, to whom the charge of the Tabernacle belonged, (and therefore the nearest adjoyning place of habitation might be the convenientest for them) this was called the camp of Levi. In the utter parts, round about Levi, the twelve Tribes pitcht their Tents; this they termed the Camp of Israel. The first Camp resembled a great Cathedral Church, with its Church-yard. The second a Priviledg-place about the Church, as it were for Colledges for the habitation of the Clergy. The third, the body of a City, wherein the Towns-men or Laity dwelt. The form of the whole, is probably thought to be four-square, some say twelve miles long, and twelve miles broad.748
In the Eastern part pitched these three Tribes, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon. On the South-side, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. On the West, Ephraim, Manasses, and Benjamin. On the North, Dan, Asher, and Napthali: and these made up the outward Camp, termed the Camp of Israel. Between each Tribe, in every one of those four quarters, there were distant spaces like Streets, where there was buying and selling as in a market, and tradesmen in their shops in manner of a City leading to and fro.749 This Camp is thought750 to be round a mile distant from the Tabernacle, that is a Sabbath daies journey; and this is gathered from Josh. 3. 4. where the distance between the People and the Ark is commanded to be two thousand cubits.
After this, pitched the Camp of Levi: in the Eastern part Moses, Aaron, and the Priests; in the South the Cohathites; in the West the Gershonites; in the North the Merarites.
In the middle was the Camp of the Divine Majesty. Unto this David alludeth: God is in the middest of her, she shall not be moved, Psal. 46. 5.
After the same manner the parts of the City Jerusalem were distinguished, when the Commonwealth was setled.751 From the gate of Jerusalem, to the mountain of the Temple, was the Camp of Israel; from the gate of the mountain of the Temple, to the gate of the Court (which was otherwise called Nicanors gate) was the Camp of Levi: from the gate of the Court, and forward, was the Camp of the Divine Majesty.
Furthermore we are to know, that the twelve Tribes had between them four principal Banners, or Standards; three Tribes to one Standard: for which reason, the Church is said to be terrible as an Army with banners, Can. 6. 4. The Hebrew word Banner, Numb. 2. 2. the Greek752 translateth Order and so the Caldee calleth it Tekes753 (a word borrowed of the Greek τάξις) order: Whence the Apostle taketh his phrase, Every man in his own order, 1 Cor. 15. 23.
Every banner was thought to be of 3 colours,754 according to the colours of the precious stones in the brest-plate, bearing the names of their Patriarchs. But this proportion will not hold in all, seeing Levi (who is not here among the other Tribes) was in the breast-plate one of the twelve: and Joseph there graved on the Beril hath here two Tribes, Ephraim and Manasses, unto whom two colours cannot be allowed from the breast plate.
Each Banner had its several motto, or inscription. In the first Standard was written, from Num. 10. 25. Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee. It is moreover taught by the Hebrews,755 that each Standard had a distinct sign engraven in it. Reubens Standard had the Image of a Man: Judahs the Image of a Lion: Ephraims the Image of an Ox: and Dans the Image of an Eagle.
These same four creatures are used by Ezekiel, Ez. 1. 10. to describe the nature of Angels. Every Cherubim is said to have four faces: the face of a man; to shew his understanding; of a Lion, to shew his power; of an Ox, to shew his ministratory office; of an Eagle to shew his swiftness in the execution of Gods will.756 The same description of Angels you may find, Rev. 4. 6.
By the same four, in the opinion of many of the Fathers,757 are shadowed forth the four Evangelists. The man shadowed S. Matthew, because he begins his Gospel with the Generation of Christ, according to his humanity: The Lyon S. Mark, because he beginneth his Gospel, from that voice of the Lion roaring in the Wilderness, Vox clamantis in deserto: The Ox S. Luke, because he beginneth with Zacharias the Priest: and the Eagle S. John, who soaring aloft beginneth with the Divinity of Christ.
Thus have we seen how they pitch’d their camps, their marching followeth: and here we are to consider, first, their marching in their journeys thorow the Wilderness. Secondly, their marching in their battels.
Concerning their marching in their journeys, they either moved forward, or abode still, according to the moving or standing of the Cloud, which conducted them: the manner thereof is described, Numb. 10. and summarily we may view it thus: when God took up the Cloud, Moses prayed, and the Priests with Trumpets blew an alarm, then Judah the first Standard rose up, with Issachar and Zebulon, and they marched foremost: then followed the Gershonites and Merarites, bearing the boards and coverings of the Tabernacle in wagons; the Trumpets sounded the second alarm, then Reuben, Simeon, and Gad rose up and followed the Tabernacle, and after them went the Kohathites, in the midst of the twelve Tribes, bearing on their shoulders the Ark, Candlestick, Table, Altar, and other holy things. At the third alarm rose up the Standard of Ephraim, Manasses, and Benjamin, and these followed the Sanctuary: unto this David hath reference, when he prayeth, Psa. 80. 2. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasses, stir up thy strength, and come and save us. At the fourth alarm, arose the Standard of Dan, Asher, and Napthali: and to these was committed the care of gathering together the lame, feeble, and sick, and to look that nothing was left behind: whence they are called the gathering Host, Josh. 6. 9. unto this David alludeth: when my Father and my Mother forsake me, the Lord will gather me, Psal. 27. 10.
Concerning their marching in War: First, the Priests sounded the alarm with Trumpets, Num. 10. 9. this they termed: Therugnah.758 Secondly, one Priest was selected out of the rest, to stir up the hearts of the people, and by a kind of hortatory Oration, to encourage them to the war, Deut. 20. 2. him they called Unctum belli, the anointed of the battel. Thirdly, they marched on by five and five in battel-array, Exo. 13. 18. so the Original signifieth in that place.759
In the last place, we are to consider how they were to deal in besieging a Town; for the conceiving whereof, note these two propositions.
1. They were to offer peace unto all Forreigners, and Canaanites, Deut. 20. 10. And this is clearly signified Josh. 11. 19. There was not a City that made peace with the Children of Israel, save the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon, all other they took in battel. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Yet here Moab and Ammon are excepted; Israel must not seek their peace, Deut. 23. 6.
2. They were to make covenant with none of the seven Nations, Deut. 7. 2. Exod. 23. 32. & 34. 14. With Forreigners they might, Josh. 9. 17. peradventure you dwell among us, and how shall we make a covenant with you? Not, how shall we make peace with you?
Some may question, what the difference was between making peace, and making a covenant? I answer, two fold. 1. The making of peace was a naked stipulation, or promise, mutually made for the laying aside of all hostile affections towards each other; whereby life on both sides might be secured. Making a covenant, was a solemn binding of each other, to performance of this mutual promise by outward ceremonies,760 of cutting a beast in twain, and passing between the parts thereof, Jer. 34. 18. as if they would say; Thus let it be done to him, and thus let his body be cut in two, who shall break this covenant? Secondly, peace was not concluded by the Israelites, but only upon these terms, That the People should become tributary unto them, Deut. 20. 11. The making of a covenant was upon equal terms, without any condition either of tribute or service, as is gatherable from the Covenant made by Joshua with the Gibeonites, where there is no mention of any condition at all, Josh. 9.
This difference seemeth to me warrantable, and serveth to reconcile many places of Scripture, as where God saith, Offer peace to all, and make a covenant with none. Secondly, It sheweth the fraud of the Gibeonites to be greater than is commonly conceived, for they sought not peace simply, but a covenant. Make a league with us, Josh. 9. 6. Thirdly, It salveth that common Objection made in defence of unadvised Oaths, to prove them obligatory, though unlawful. The Argument is framed thus; The covenant which Joshua made with the Gibeonites unadvisedly, was unlawful: but that was observed by him, and the breach thereof, when Saul slew the Gibeonites, punished by God, 2 Sam. 21. 1. Therefore, &c. I say it salveth that Objection: because if we diligently observe Joshua’s practise, we shall find unadvised Oaths to be so far, and only so far binding, as they agree with God’s words. God’s word required the Gibeonites should have their lives secured, because they accepted peace; Thus far therefore the covenant was still of force. God’s word required, that the Canaanites, after the acceptation of peace, should become tributary; here the covenant was not of force, and therefore Joshuah made them hewers of wood, and drawers of water, which is a kind of tribute in the language of the Scripture, a tribute of the body, though not of the purse: in which sense the Ægyptian Task-Masters are in the Original called Tribute-masters, Exod. 1. 11.
Notes
748 Uziel. Num. 2. 3.
749 Οὐδενί τε ἄλλῳ ἢ πόλει μετανισταμένῃ καὶ καθιδρυμένῃ ἐῴκει. Joseph. l. 3. Antiq. c. 11. p. 97.
750 Tradunt Hebræi, filios Israelita castrametatos fuisse in circuitu tabernaculi ut unum milliare interfuerit (i.) spacium mille passuum, & hoc erat iter Sabbati. P. Fag. Num. 2. 3.
751 Maimon. in Bethhabchirab. c. 7. sect. 11.
752 Ἄνθρωπος ἐχόμενος κατὰ τάγμα αὐτοῦ.
753 גבר על טקסיה Quisque juxta ordinatam suam aciem.
754 Jonathan Uzel. Num. 2. 3.
755 Dicunt in vexillo Reuben fuisse imaginem hominis: in vexillo Jehudah imaginem leonis: in vexillo Ephraim imaginem bovis: in vexillo Dan, imaginem aquilæ P. Fag. Numb. 2. Aben Esra, ibidem.
756 Angeli ex hoc versu definiri possunt; sunt enim spiritus intelligentes, ut homo, potentes ut Leo, ministratorij ut Bos, & celeres ut aquila. Tremel. in Ezek. 1.
757 Hieronym. ad initium sui commentarii in Mat. It. Gregor. homil. 4. in Ezek. ab Hieronim. dissentit. D. Augustinus in Matthæo & Marco, nam in Leone Mattheum, Marcum, in homine putat adumbratum. August. de consensu Evangelist. l. 1. c. 6.
758 תרועה Clangor, Vociferatio. Hebræi duplicem clangorem esse statuunt alterumque vocari תקיעה alterum תרועת quorum ille æquabilis est vox, hic citus concisusque fragor, ille ad convocandos cætus, hic ad accendendos millitum animos facit.
759 חמושים
760 Hæc est causa cur Hebræi Fœdus facere dicant כרות הברית (i.) Dividere, aut dissecare fœdus, quemadmodum apud Latinos, dicitur percutere fœdus, quæ locutio fluxit ab antiquo fœderis faciendi more: Sacerdos enim feriebat porcum silice, dicens, Sic à Jove feriatur is, qui sanctum hoc fregerit fœdus, ut ego hunc porcum ferio. Livius. Decad. 1. l. 1. p. 17.