The Church Fathers on this verse

Numbers 33:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Departing from thence they came over against Phihahiroth, which looketh towards Beelsephon, and they camped before Magdalum.

Douay-Rheims

וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מֵֽאֵתָ֔ם וַיָּ֙שָׁב֙ עַל־פִּ֣י הַחִירֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־פְּנֵ֖י בַּ֣עַל צְפ֑וֹן וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מִגְדֹּֽל׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

The fourth station is Thiagiroth, which translates to the mouth of the noble and is spelled with the letter heth. Some mistakenly render hiroth as villages, a clear error stemming from their interpretation of the letters ai instead of the preceding particle. Veel-sephon translates in our language to Lord of the North, or ascending the tower, or possessing the mysteries. Additionally, Magdol signifies greatness or tower. Therefore, let us gather courage and be uplifted in the Lord, and let us cast aside the mysteries of the idol Beel-sephon, diminishing his glory and his inflated pride.

Read more (59 words)

For he does not originate from the south, from whence the Lord came, nor from noon, where the bridegroom rests among the flowers; rather, he holds the north, the source of the coldest winds that bring calamities upon the earth. Though it is the coldest, it falsely claims the name of virtue and happiness, yet it yields only tribulations.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.