🔢WEB · Numbers 10:29
What does Numbers 10:29 mean?
"Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.”"
— Numbers 10:29 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher.
Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali.
Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.
Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.”
He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”
He said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.
It shall be, if you go with us, yes, it shall be, that whatever good Yahweh does to us, we will do the same to you.”
Explanation
Numbers 10:29 records a personal, practical conversation Moses has just as Israel is breaking camp at Sinai to begin the march toward the Promised Land. Moses turns to Hobab, identified as the son of Reuel the Midianite and Moses' father-in-law (Reuel is likely another name for Jethro, or Hobab may be a brother-in-law depending on how the family relationships are reckoned—the Hebrew term used can refer to in-laws more broadly). Moses invites Hobab to join Israel on the journey, promising that if he comes along, Israel will treat him well, and grounding that promise in the fact that Yahweh has spoken good things over Israel's future.
The context is the transition point in Numbers where the long stay at Mount Sinai ends and the wilderness march begins. The cloud has lifted from the tabernacle, the tribes are organized and moving in formation, and the ark of the covenant is leading the way. Moses' family had connections to Midian going back to his flight from Egypt and his marriage to Zipporah (Exodus 2-3), and Jethro/Reuel's household had already shown kindness and wisdom to Moses and Israel (Exodus 18). This verse shows Moses maintaining those family ties even as he steps into his role leading a nation of over 600,000 people toward Canaan. Hobab knew the wilderness terrain intimately, having lived as a nomadic herdsman in that region, which made his presence valuable for practical guidance (a point made explicit in verse 31, where Moses as
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