21 3 Israel vanquisheth king Arad. 6 The fiery serpents are sent for the rebellion of the people. 24, 33 Sihon and Og are overcome in battle.
1 When (A)King Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt toward the South, heard tell that Israel came by the [a]way of the spies, then fought he against Israel, and took of them prisoners.
2 So Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt deliver and give this people into mine hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
3 And the Lord heard the voice of Israel, and delivered them the Canaanites: and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and called the name of the place [b](B)Hormah.
4 ¶ After they departed from the mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to [c]compass the land of Edom: and the people were sore grieved because of the way.
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, saying, Wherefore have ye brought us out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness, for here is neither bread nor water, and our soul (C)loatheth this light [d]bread.
6 (D)Wherefore the Lord sent [e]fiery serpents among the people, which stung the people: so that many of the people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned: for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us: and Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it up for a [f]sign, that as many as are bitten, may look upon it, and live.
9 (E)So Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it up for a sign: and when a serpent had bitten a man, then he looked to the serpent of brass, and [g]lived.
10 (F)And the children of Israel departed thence, and pitched in Oboth.
11 ¶ And they departed from Oboth, and pitched [h]in Ije Abarim, in the wilderness, which is before Moab on the East side.
12 ¶ They removed thence, and pitched upon the river of Zared.
13 ¶ Thence they departed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness, and cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: (for Arnon is the border of Moab, between the Moabites and the Amorites),
14 Wherefore it shall be spoken in the [i]book of the battles of the Lord, [j]what thing he did in the red sea, and in the rivers of Arnon,
15 And at the stream of the rivers that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16 ¶ And from thence they turned to Beer: the same is the well where the Lord said unto Moses, Assemble the people, and I will give them water.
17 ¶ Then Israel sang this song, Rise up [k]well, [l]sing ye unto it.
18 The princes dug this well, the captains of the people dug it, even the [m]lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they came to Mattanah,
19 ¶ And from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 ¶ And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the plain of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
21 ¶ Then Israel sent messengers unto Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,
22 (G)Let me go through thy land: we will not turn aside into the fields, nor into the vineyards, neither drink of the waters of the wells: we will go by the king’s way, until we be past thy country.
23 (H)But Sihon gave Israel no license to pass through his country, but Sihon assembled all his people, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24 (I)But Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and conquered his land, from Arnon unto [n]Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon, for the border of the children of Ammon was [o]strong.
25 And Israel took all these cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites in Heshbon, and in all the [p]villages thereof.
26 For [q]Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, which had fought beforetime against the king of the Moabites, and had taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs, say, Come to Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and repaired,
28 For [r]a fire is gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the city of Sihon, and hath consumed Ar of the Moabites, and the lords of Bamoth in Arnon.
29 Woe be to thee, Moab: O people of [s]Chemosh, thou art undone: he hath suffered his sons to be pursued, and his daughters to be in captivity to Sihon the king of the Amorites.
30 Their [t]empire also is lost from Heshbon unto Dibon, and we have destroyed them unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
31 ¶ Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32 And Moses sent to search out Jazer, and they took the towns belonging thereto, and rooted out the Amorites that were there.
33 ¶ (J)And they turned, and went up toward Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he, and all his people, to fight at Edrei.
34 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thine hand, and all his people, and his land: (K)and thou shalt do to him as thou diddest unto Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
35 They smote him therefore, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him: so they conquered his land.
Footnotes
- Numbers 21:1 By that way which their spies, that searched the dangers found to be most safe.
- Numbers 21:3 Or, destruction.
- Numbers 21:4 For they were forbidden to destroy it, Deut. 2:5.
- Numbers 21:5 Meaning, Manna, which they thought did not nourish.
- Numbers 21:6 For they that were stung therewith, were so inflamed with the heat thereof, that they died.
- Numbers 21:8 Or, upon a pole.
- Numbers 21:9 Or, recovered.
- Numbers 21:11 Or, in the heaps of Abarim, or hills.
- Numbers 21:14 Which seemeth to be the book of the Judges, or as some think, a book which is lost.
- Numbers 21:14 Or, (How God destroyed) Waheb (the city) with a whirlwind and the valley of Arnon.
- Numbers 21:17 Or, spring.
- Numbers 21:17 Ye that receive the commodity thereof, give praise for it.
- Numbers 21:18 Moses and Aaron heads of the people only smote the rock with the rod or staff, which gave water as a well that were deep digged.
- Numbers 21:24 The river.
- Numbers 21:24 For the people were tall and strong like giants, Deut. 2:20.
- Numbers 21:25 Hebrew, daughters.
- Numbers 21:26 For if it had been the Moabites, the Israelites might not have possessed it, Deut. 2:9.
- Numbers 21:28 Meaning, war.
- Numbers 21:29 Chemosh was the idol of the Moabites, 1 Kings 11:33, who was not able to defend his worshippers, which took the idol for their father.
- Numbers 21:30 Hebrew, light.
Cross references
- Numbers 21:1 : Num. 33:40
- Numbers 21:3 : Judg. 1:27
- Numbers 21:5 : Num. 11:6
- Numbers 21:6 : 1 Cor. 10:9
- Numbers 21:9 : 2 Kings 18:4; Job 3:14
- Numbers 21:10 : Num. 33:43
- Numbers 21:22 : Deut. 2:26; Judg. 11:19
- Numbers 21:23 : Deut. 29:7
- Numbers 21:24 : Josh. 12:2; Ps. 135:11; Amos 2:9
- Numbers 21:33 : Deut. 3:1; Deut. 29:7
- Numbers 21:34 : Ps. 135:11