Numbers21
New King James Version
1The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.
2So Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”
3And the Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called Hormah.
4Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.
5And 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 food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
6So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
9So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
10Now the children of Israel moved on and camped in Oboth.
11And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Moab, toward the sunrise.
12From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered.
13From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: “Waheb in Suphah, The brooks of the Arnon,
15And the slope of the brooks That reaches to the dwelling of Ar, And lies on the border of Moab.”
16From there they went to Beer, which is the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”
17Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well! All of you sing to it—
18The well the leaders sank, Dug by the nation’s nobles, By the lawgiver, with their staves.” And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,
19from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20and from Bamoth, in the valley that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks down on the wasteland.
21Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”
23But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.
24Then Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified.
25So Israel took all these cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages.
26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon.
27Therefore those who speak in proverbs say: “Come to Heshbon, let it be built; Let the city of Sihon be repaired.
28“For fire went out from Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon; It consumed Ar of Moab, The lords of the heights of the Arnon.
29Woe to you, Moab! You have perished, O people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, To Sihon king of the Amorites.
30“But we have shot at them; Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon. Then we laid waste as far as Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.”
31Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32Then Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took its villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
33And they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.
34Then the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.”
35So they defeated him, his sons, and all his people, until there was no survivor left him; and they took possession of 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.