Numbers21
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
2And Israel vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
3And Jehovah hearkened 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.
4And they journeyed 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.
5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6And Jehovah sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Jehovah, and against thee; pray unto Jehovah, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8And Jehovah said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live.
9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.
10And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in Oboth.
11And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.
12From thence they journeyed, and encamped in the valley of Zered.
13From thence they journeyed, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that cometh out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Jehovah, Vaheb in Suphah, And the valleys of the Arnon,
15And the slope of the valleys That inclineth toward the dwelling of Ar, And leaneth upon the border of Moab.
16And from thence they journeyed to Beer: that is the well whereof Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
18The well, which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people delved, With the sceptre, and with their staves. And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah;
19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth;
20and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh down upon the desert.
21And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22Let me pass through thy 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 thy border.
23And Sihon would not suffer 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.
24And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the towns thereof.
26For 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 unto the Arnon.
27Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come ye to Heshbon; Let the city of Sihon be built and established:
28For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon: It hath devoured Ar of Moab, The lords of the high places of the Arnon.
29Woe to thee, Moab! Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: He hath given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, Unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
30We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, And we have laid waste even unto Nophah, Which reacheth unto Medeba.
31Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took the towns thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33And 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.
34And Jehovah said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.
35So they smote him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him remaining: and they possessed his land.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 21.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Canaanites of Arad destroyed. (1–3). The people murmuring, are plagued with fiery serpents, They repenting, are healed through the brazen serpent. (4–9). Further journeys of the Israelites. (10–20). Sihon and Og overcome, Their land possessed. (21–35).
vv1-3
Before the people began their march round the country of Edom, the king of Arad, a Canaanite, who inhabited the southern part of the country, attacked them in the wilderness, and took some prisoners. This was to lead the Israelites to look more thoroughly to the Lord.
vv4-9
The children of Israel were wearied by a long march round the land of Edom. They speak discontentedly of what God had done for them, and distrustfully of what he would do. What will they be pleased with, whom manna will not please? Let not the contempt which some cast on the word of God, make us value it less. It is the bread of life, substantial bread, and will nourish those who by faith feed upon it, to eternal life, whoever may call it light bread. We see the righteous judgment God brought upon them for murmuring. He sent fiery serpents among them, which bit or stung many to death. It is to be feared that they would not have owned the sin, if they had not felt the smart; but they relent under the rod. And God made a wonderful provision for their relief. The Jews themselves say it was not the sight of the brazen serpent that cured; but in looking up to it, they looked up to God as the Lord that healed them. There was much gospel in this. Our Saviour declared, Joh 3:14, 15, that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, that whatsoever believeth in him, should not perish. Compare their disease and ours. Sin bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Compare the application of their remedy and ours. They looked and lived, and we, if we believe, shall not perish. It is by faith that we look unto Jesus, Heb 12:2. Whosoever looked, however desperate his case, or feeble his sight, or distant his place, was certainly and perfectly cured. The Lord can relieve us from dangers and distresses, by means which human reason never would have devised. Oh that the venom of the old serpent, inflaming men's passions, and causing them to commit sins which end in their eternal destruction, were as sensibly felt, and the danger as plainly seen, as the Israelites felt pain from the bite of the fiery serpents, and feared the death which followed! Then none would shut their eyes to Christ, or turn from his gospel. Then a crucified Saviour would be so valued, that all things else would be accounted loss for him; then, without delay, and with earnestness and simplicity, all would apply to him in the appointed way, crying, Lord, save us; we perish! Nor would any abuse the freeness of Christ's salvation, while they reckoned the price which it cost him.
vv10-20
We have here the removes of the children of Israel, till they came to the plains of Moab, from whence they passed over Jordan into Canaan. The end of their pilgrimage was near. “They set forward.” It were well if we did thus; and the nearer we come to heaven, were so much the more active and abundant in the work of the Lord. The wonderful success God granted to his people, is here spoken of, and, among the rest, their actions on the river Arnon, at Vaheb in Suphah, and other places on that river. In every stage of our lives, nay, in every step, we should notice what God has wrought for us; what he did at such a time, and what in such a place, ought to be distinctly remembered. God blessed his people with a supply of water. When we come to heaven, we shall remove to the well of life, the fountain of living waters. They received it with joy and thankfulness, which made the mercy doubly sweet. With joy must we draw water out of the wells of salvation, Isa 12:3. As the brazen serpent was a figure of Christ, who is lifted up for our cure, so is this well a figure of the Spirit, who is poured forth for our comfort, and from whom flow to us rivers of living waters, Joh 7:38, 39. Does this well spring up in our souls? If so, we should take the comfort to ourselves, and give the glory to God. God promised to give water, but they must open the ground. God's favours must be expected in the use of such means as are within our power, but still the power is only of God.
Key Words
כְּנַעַנִי: a Kenaanite or inhabitant of Kenaan; by implication, a pedlar (the Canaanites standing for their neighbors the Ishmaelites, who conducted mercantile caravans)
מֶלֶךְ: a king
עֲרָד: Arad, the name of a place near Palestine, also of a Canaanite and an Israelite
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
נֶגֶב: the south (from its drought); specifically, the Negeb or southern district of Judah, occasionally, Egypt (as south to Palestine)
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
דֶּרֶךְ: a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
אֲתָרִים: Atharim, a place near Palestine
Cross References
Numbers 21Jesus directly compares Himself being lifted up to Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Paul warns against tempting Christ as Israel did, resulting in their destruction by fiery serpents.
Supported by JFB
Moses recalls God leading Israel through the great wilderness infested with fiery serpents and scorpions.
Supported by JFB
Hezekiah destroys this very bronze serpent because the Israelites had turned it into an idol.
Supported by JFB
The promised well of water typifies the Holy Spirit, poured forth to satisfy and comfort believers.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Recounts Sihon refusing passage, hardening his heart, and marching out to fight at Jahaz.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of the battle against Og, king of Bashan, at Edrei and his defeat.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrast with their earlier defeat at Hormah when they presumptuously fought without God.
Jephthah historical defense citing Moses' peaceful messengers and Sihon's hostile refusal.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Poetic celebration of God smiting great kings, specifically mentioning Sihon and Og.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jeremiah directly quotes this ancient proverb of Heshbon, Sihon, and Moab's destruction.
Confirms the geographical identity of King Arad the Canaanite in the south.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Details the transition at the valley of Zered, marking thirty-eight years of wandering.
Supported by JFB
Jephthah refers to Chemosh, the national god of Moab, matching the proverb quoted here.