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These are the stages of the Israelites after they went out from the land of Egypt, by their companies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron;
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Moses wrote down their journeys, stage by stage, according to the command of the LORD; and these are their stages in their journey:
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They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the Israelites went out with a high hand, in the sight of all the Egyptians,
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while the Egyptians were burying those whom the LORD had struck among them, namely all the firstborn; for the LORD had executed judgments against their gods.
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The Israelites set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth.
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They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
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They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon, and they camped opposite Migdol.
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They set out from Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; then they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.
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They set out from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees; there they camped.
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They set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
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They set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin.
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They set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.
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They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
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They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.
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They set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
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They set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
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They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.
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They set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
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They set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
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They set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
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They set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
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They set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
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They set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
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They set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
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They set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
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They set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
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They set out from Tahath and camped at Terah.
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They set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
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They set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
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They set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
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They set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.
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They set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
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They set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
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They set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
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They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
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They set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin, that is, Kadesh.
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They set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom.
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At that time Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and there he died in the fortieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month;
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Aaron was one hundred twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
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At that time the king of Arad, the Canaanite, who lived in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the Israelites.
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They set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
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They set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
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They set out from Punon and camped at Oboth.
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They set out from Oboth and camped near the ruins at Abarim in the territory of Moab.
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They set out from the ruins and camped at Dibon-gad.
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They set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
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They set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.
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They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.
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They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim, on the plains of Moab.
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The LORD spoke to Moses on the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho:
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“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
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you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their carved stones; you shall also destroy all their cast images and demolish all their high places.
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You shall take possession of the land and dwell in it, for to you I have given the land to possess.
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You shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your clans: to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; whatever is assigned to each by lot shall be its portion. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall divide the inheritance.”
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But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you leave alive of them shall be as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell.
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And it shall come to pass that I will do to you as I had planned to do to them.”
🛤️📜🏕️ Summary of Numbers 33 – Israel’s Journey List from Egypt to Moab
Numbers 33 is a kind of travel journal of the people of Israel from the time they left Egypt until they came to the border of the Promised Land, right in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River.
This chapter is not merely a list of places, but a record of God’s faithfulness throughout the journey of His people — even though they often failed, the Lord still led them.
📌 1. Record of the Stopping Places (verses 1–49)
- There were 42 places through which the Israelites passed in their 40 years of journeying.
- It is recorded from the time they left Rameses in Egypt until they camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan opposite Jericho.
- Each location was an important marker:
Some places were full of miracles (such as Marah – bitter water made sweet),
Some were full of judgment (such as Kibroth-hattaavah – the place where they were buried because of greed).
🎯 This shows that the journey of faith is long and not always smooth, but God still leads from beginning to end.
📌 2. The Command to Conquer and Purify the Promised Land (verses 50–56)
When they reached the border of Canaan, the Lord gave a firm command:
- Drive out all the native inhabitants, destroy their idols, altars, images, and symbols of worship.
- Divide the land according to tribes and numbers.
- A stern warning: if they do not drive out the Canaanite inhabitants, then those people will become:
“Thorns in your eyes and thorns in your sides…”
🎯 The Lord desires that the inheritance land be cleansed from sin and false worship — blessing can be preserved only by holiness.
📖 Main Teaching
- The journey of the believer’s life should be remembered as a record of God’s faithfulness, not merely human history.
- Every stopping place in life has a lesson, both in victory and in failure.
- The Lord does not only bring us out of Egypt, but also wants us to arrive and live holy in the promised land.
- Cleansing from sin and compromise is an absolute requirement for enjoying spiritual inheritance.
- Neglecting the Lord’s commands today will become an obstacle and a thorn in the future.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Covenant)
- Israel’s journey is a picture of the believer’s spiritual journey:
Coming out of Egypt = salvation from sin,
The wilderness = shaping of character,
The land of Canaan = life in God’s promise.
- Paul wrote:
“All these things happened as examples for us…” (1 Corinthians 10:11)
- The Lord calls us to remember the path of life with Him, not for nostalgia, but so that we remain faithful and do not repeat the same mistakes.
