Numbers 10:29-32

B. AN INVITATION TO HOBAB vv. 29-32
TEXT

Numbers 10:29. And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses-' father-in-law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel. 30. And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. 31. And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. 32. And it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 10:29. And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel, the Midianite, Moses-' father-in-law, We are traveling to the place the Lord spoke about. I will give it to you; come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord has spoken good things concerning Israel. 30. And he said to him, I will not go; instead, I will return to my own land and to my relatives. 31. And Moses said, I pray you, do not leave us since you know we are to camp in the wilderness, and you may be more helpful to us than eyes. 32. And it shall be if you go with us that whatever good the Lord shall do to us, we will do the same to you.

COMMENTARY

Hobab is the son of Raguel (another spelling of Reuel, based upon the LXX: he is also known as Jethro, Exodus 2:18), and hence Moses-' brother-in-law. He is invited to accompany the Israelites for two very good reasons, either of which alone would seem sufficient: first, by joining himself to Israel he and his family may share in the rich blessings anticipated by the nation; and, having lived all his life in this area and others Similar, Hobab could be invaluable both as a guide and an instructor in adjustments to living in the desert. This is the gist of Numbers 10:31. The initial refusal of Hobab was not accepted by Moses, who repeated the invitation in greater detail.

It is generally assumed that Hobab did join with the Israelites, since it is more probable that a negative answer would have been recorded than an affirmative one, which seems properly inferred from the abrupt ending. Nevertheless, we do not find Hobab's name, nor that of his family and descendants, among the later lists of the children of Israel. He is said to dwell among the children of Judah in Judges 1:16. Since Judah led the march, it is logical that Hobab would have become fixed among this tribe, even if he were not actually made a part of the tribe itself.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

186.

Look up the background of the Midianites: the type of life they lived, the areas in which they traveled, and their chief occupation. How would they be especially fitted to aid the Israelites in adjusting to life in Paran?

187.

Why did Hobab refuse Moses-' invitation the first time it was extended to him?

188.

What do we know of Hobab's descendants in later history? Why did they settle where they did?