(כט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה לְ֠חֹבָ֠ב בֶּן־רְעוּאֵ֣ל הַמִּדְיָנִי֮ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁה֒ נֹסְעִ֣ים ׀ אֲנַ֗חְנוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֣ר יי אֹת֖וֹ אֶתֵּ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם לְכָ֤ה אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ וְהֵטַ֣בְנוּ לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־יי דִּבֶּר־ט֖וֹב עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ל) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו לֹ֣א אֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּ֧י אִם־אֶל־אַרְצִ֛י וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּ֖י אֵלֵֽךְ׃ (לא) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אַל־נָ֖א תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י ׀ עַל־כֵּ֣ן יָדַ֗עְתָּ חֲנֹתֵ֙נוּ֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְהָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְעֵינָֽיִם׃ (לב) וְהָיָ֖ה כִּי־תֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֑נוּ וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ הַטּ֣וֹב הַה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵיטִ֧יב יי עִמָּ֖נוּ וְהֵטַ֥בְנוּ לָֽךְ׃ (לג) וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מֵהַ֣ר יי דֶּ֖רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וַאֲר֨וֹן בְּרִית־יי נֹסֵ֣עַ לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים לָת֥וּר לָהֶ֖ם מְנוּחָֽה׃ (לד) וַעֲנַ֧ן יי עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם יוֹמָ֑ם בְּנׇסְעָ֖ם מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ {ס} (לה) ׆ וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה ׀ יי וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃
(29) Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which יי has said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will be generous with you; for יי has promised to be generous to Israel.” (30) “I will not go,” he replied to him, “but will return to my native land.” (31) He said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness and can be our guide. (32) So if you come with us, we will extend to you the same bounty that יי grants us.” (33) They marched from the mountain of יי a distance of three days. The Ark of the Covenant of יי traveled in front of them on that three days’ journey to seek out a resting place for them; (34) and יי’s cloud kept above them by day, as they moved on from camp. (35) When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: Advance, O יי ! May Your enemies be scattered, And may Your foes flee before You!
After Hovav declines Moshe's invitation, Moshe tries to convince him to come. One phrase Moshe uses is והיית לנו לעיניים. It is not at all clear what he means.
Numbers 10:29-36
New International Version
29 Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”
30 He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”
31 But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.”
Numbers 10:29-36
Young's Literal Translation
29 And Moses saith to Hobab son of Raguel the Midianite, father-in-law of Moses, `We are journeying unto the place of which Jehovah hath said, I give it to you; go with us, and we have done good to thee; for Jehovah hath spoken good concerning Israel.'
30 And he saith unto him, `I do not go; but unto my land and unto my kindred do I go.'
31 And he saith, `I pray thee, forsake us not, because thou hast known our encamping in the wilderness, and thou hast been to us for eyes;
32 and it hath come to pass when thou goest with us, yea, it hath come to pass -- that good which Jehovah doth kindly with us -- it we have done kindly to thee.'
Numbers 10:29-36
King James Version
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, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.
Everett Fox Translation:
Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which יי has said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will be generous with you; for יי has promised to be generous to Israel.” “I will not go,” he replied to him, “but will return to my native land.” He said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness and can be our guide. So if you come with us, we will extend to you the same bounty that יי grants us.”
ר׳ יוסף קרא:
והיית מאיר עינינו בעיצה טובה ונכונה שנתת לנו, דכתיב: עתה שמע בקולי אעצך (שמות י׳׳ח:י׳׳ט).
Rabbi Yosef Kara:
Said Moshe to Hovav: You can illuminate our eyes with the sound advice that you provide, as an earlier verse states, "Now listen to me, let me advise you; and may God be with you" (Ex. 18:19).
אבן עזרא:
לכה אתנו ותהיה לנו לעינים – להראות הדרך.
Ibn Ezra:
Said Moshe to Hovav: Come with us and be our eyes as you show us the way through the wilderness.
ר׳ יוסף בכור שור:
שיאמרו הרואים אותך עמנו: לא לחינם הניח זה ארצו ומקומו, אם לא שראה שהקב׳׳ה עמהם, וייראו להזדקק לנו ולהלחם עמנו.
Rabbi Yosef Bekhor Shor:
Said Moshe to Hovav: Everyone who sees you escorting us through the desert will say that you abandoned your country and your home because you understood that the Holy One, blessed be God, is with us. Therefore, all the other nations will be afraid to contend with us or to challenge us on the battlefield.
Questions to consider:
- Which of the commentaries understands that the word והיית is to be understood as relating to things that happened in the past, and which understands that it is to be read as pointing to the future?
- If this is meant to convince Hovav to go with Benei Yisrael, which of these explanations do you think offers the most convincing reason for him to accompany them?
- Which of these commentaries do you think tries to understand this incident as part of the series of discussions in this chapter relating to the travels of Benei Yisrael?