When the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied— Concerning the meaning of the word prophet, we have spoken in the note on Genesis 20:7. To prophesy, says Dr. Hammond, is a large word; and, besides the foretelling of future events, which is the ordinary notion of it, it signifies, SECONDLY, To work miracles; as when it is said of Elisha's body, that, being dead, it prophesied. Compare Ecclesiassicus, Ecclesiassicus 48: 13 with 2 Kings 13:21. THIRDLY, To declare the will of God to any, by revelation or mission from him: and grammarians have observed, that the word naturally signifies no more than this, of speaking from, or in the stead of another, i.e. of God; in which sense, as Christ's prophetic office consisted in revealing the will of God to the world, so all, who have in any degree done the like, are styled prophets; all who have taught men their duties towards God and each other. Thus, when, Exodus 7:1. God said to Moses, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet; the meaning is, that what God commanded, or should command Moses, Moses should (as God to a prophet, — the oracle to the υποφητης) deliver to Aaron concerning Pharaoh; and Aaron should go as a prophet sent from God, and deliver it to Pharaoh: he shall be thy spokesman; he shall be to thee instead of a mouth. Exodus 4:16. FOURTHLY, It signifies to expound or interpret Scripture; as in 1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Corinthians 14:40. FIFTHLY, It is sometimes used to signify wild, raving, mad behaviour, or such speaking as the ενθεοι, or enthusiasts among the heathen, men possessed of diabolic feelings, were wont to use: so, when the evil spirit came upon Saul, he prophesied in the midst of the house; and, in the same fury, cast the javelin at David, 1 Samuel 18:10-11. The reason of this is clear: because prophets did ordinarily both speak and act in a manner far different from the ordinary practice of other men; and accordingly were, by many who looked on them, thought to be mad. So the prophet sent by Elisha to anoint Jehu is called this mad fellow. 2 Kings 9:11. SIXTHLY, It signifies singing and praising God; forming of divine hymns, and singing them to God. Thus, 1 Samuel 10:5-6. Thou shalt meet a company—a college of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy: (where the Chaldee paraphrase reads, shall sing,) and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy: where the Chaldee hath it, and thou shalt praise with them. So 1 Chronicles 25:1. David separated the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, &c. and this, most probably, is the meaning of the word here; for, as, 1 Samuel 10:6. Saul's prophesying was to be an effect of the Spirit of God coming upon him, and was a sign of his being set apart by God for the kingly office, and furnished with abilities for it, which is called turning him into another man; so here God takes of the spirit which was upon Moses,—that is, the spirit of government with which he was endued, and gives it unto the seventy. And when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied; where, as the other circumstance agrees, i.e. the giving them the spirit, and fitting them for their office by that means, so the evidence of it, their prophesying, may agree also: though wherein their prophesying consisted is no where determined in Scripture. This only is unquestioned, that it was some extraordinary act: a testimony that the Spirit of God, in some extra-ordinary manner, rested upon them; and as such was discernible to all, and so fit to authorise them in the eyes of others as by miracle, and to declare to all that they were assumed to this office. To this notion of prophesying, Luke 1:67 must be interpreted: Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied; i.e. was stirred up in a very extraordinary manner, by the Spirit of God, to compose the divine hymn immediately following. See Hammond's note on the place.
And did not cease— The Hebrew here is יספו ולא velo iasapu, which signifies properly, and they added not; i.e. say some commentators, they prophesied not after that day. This, it must be owned, seems but an aukward mode of expression, and would therefore incline one to follow, with Houbigant, the reading of the Samaritan, which instead of יספו, reads יאספו, (they were gathered,) and places the full stop after prophesied; so as to understand it thus: when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But two of the men were not gathered together, or assembled, but remained in the camp; that is to say, two men who had not assembled with the rest at the tabernacle, but were left in the camp, were also endued with the gift of prophesy. In confirmation of this criticism, Houbigant shews the impropriety both of our version and of that mentioned at the beginning of this note, which, indeed, must be very obvious to most readers. Many conjectures have been offered why these two men remained in the camp; but as this can only be conjecture, we shall not take up room on the subject: sickness, or some legal defilement, might probably hinder their approach to the tabernacle.