1 The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2 Israel vowed a vow to Yahweh, and said, "If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities." 3 Yahweh listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah. 4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 The people spoke against God, and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread." 6 Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died. 7 The people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh, and against you. Pray to Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us." Moses prayed for the people. 8 Yahweh said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." 9 Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it on the standard: and it happened, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of brass, he lived. 10 The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Oboth. 11 They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13 From there they traveled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that comes out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Yahweh, "Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, 15 the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab." 16 From there they traveled to Beer: that is the well of which Yahweh said to Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water." 17 Then sang Israel this song: "Spring up, well; sing to it: 18 the well, which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter, and with their poles." From the wilderness (they traveled) to Mattanah; 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert. 21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22 "Let me pass through your land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king's highway, until we have passed your border." 23 Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel. 24 Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, even to the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25 Israel took all these cities: and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its towns. 26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even to the Arnon. 27 Therefore those who speak in proverbs say, "Come to Heshbon. Let the city of Sihon be built and established; 28 for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It has devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of the Arnon. 29 Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to Sihon king of the Amorites. 30 We have shot at them. Heshbon has perished even to Dibon. We have laid waste even to Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba." 31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took its towns, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 33 They turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 34 Yahweh said to Moses, "Don't fear him: for I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people, and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon." 35 So they struck him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land.
Arad, a king of the Canaanites, attacks Israel, and makes same prisoners, Numbers 21:1. They devote him and his people to destruction, Numbers 21:2; which they afterwards accomplished, Numbers 21:3. They journey from Hor, and are greatly discouraged, Numbers 21:4. They murmur against God and Moses, and loathe the manna, Numbers 21:5. The Lord sends fiery serpents among them, Numbers 21:6. They repent, and beg Moses to intercede for them, Numbers 21:7. The Lord directs him to make a brazen serpent, and set it on a pole, that the people might look on it and be healed, Numbers 21:8. Moses does so, and the people who beheld the brazen serpent lived, Numbers 21:9. They journey to Oboth, Ije-abarim, Zared, and Arnon, Numbers 21:10-13. A quotation from the book of the wars of the Lord, Numbers 21:14, Numbers 21:15. From Arnon they came to Beer, Numbers 21:16. Their song of triumph, Numbers 21:17-20. Moses sends messengers to the Amorites for permission to pass through their land, Numbers 21:21, Numbers 21:22. Sihon their king refuses, attacks Israel, is defeated, and all his cities destroyed, Numbers 21:23-26. The poetic proverbs made on the occasion, Numbers 21:27-30. Israel possesses the land of the Amorites, Numbers 21:31, Numbers 21:32. They are attacked by Og king of Bashan, Numbers 21:33. They defeat him, destroy his troops and family, and possess his land, Numbers 21:34, Numbers 21:35.
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 21
This chapter gives an account of the defeat of King Arad, the Canaanite, Numbers 21:1 of the murmurings of the children of Israel, because of difficulties in travelling round, the land of Edom, for which they were punished with fiery serpents, Numbers 21:4 and how that upon their repentance a brazen serpent was ordered to be made, and to be erected on a pole, that whoever looked to it might live, Numbers 21:7 and of the several journeys and stations of the children of Israel, until they came to the land of the Amorites, Numbers 21:10, when they sent a message to Sihon their king, to desire him to grant them a passage through his country; but he refusing, they fought with him, smote him, and possessed his land, concerning which many proverbial sayings were used, Numbers 21:21 and the chapter is concluded with the defeat of Og, king of Bashan, Numbers 21:33.
(Numbers 21:1-3) The Canaanites of Arad destroyed.
(Numbers 21:4-9) The people murmuring, are plagued with fiery serpents, They repenting, are healed through the brazen serpent.
(Numbers 21:10-20) Further journeys of the Israelites.
(Numbers 21:21-35) Sihon and Og overcome, Their land possessed.
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