Advanced Commentary

Texts -- Numbers 21:1-33 (NET)

Context
Victory at Hormah
21:1 When the Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negev heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim , he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner . 21:2 So Israel made a vow to the Lord and said , “If you will indeed deliver this people into our hand , then we will utterly destroy their cities .” 21:3 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 the place was called Hormah .
Fiery Serpents
21:4 Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea , to go around the land of Edom , but the people became impatient along the way . 21:5 And 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 or water , and we detest this worthless food .” 21:6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people , and they bit the people ; many people of Israel died . 21:7 Then 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 would take away the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people . 21:8 The Lord said to Moses , “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole . When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live .” 21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole , so that if a snake had bitten someone , when he looked at the bronze snake he lived .
The Approach to Moab
21:10 The Israelites traveled on and camped in Oboth . 21:11 Then they traveled on from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim , in the wilderness that is before Moab , on the eastern side . 21:12 From there they moved on and camped in the valley of Zered . 21:13 From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon , in the wilderness that extends from the regions of the Amorites , for Arnon is the border of Moab , between Moab and the Amorites . 21:14 This is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord , “Waheb in Suphah and the wadis , the Arnon 21:15 and the slope of the valleys that extends to the dwelling of Ar , and falls off at the border of Moab .” 21:16 And from there they traveled to Beer ; that is the well where the Lord spoke to Moses , “Gather the people and I will give them water .” 21:17 Then Israel sang this song : “Spring up , O well , sing to it! 21:18 The well which the princes dug , which the leaders of the people opened with their scepters and their staffs .” And from the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah ; 21:19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel ; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth ; 21:20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab , near the top of Pisgah , which overlooks the wilderness .
The Victory over Sihon and Og
21:21 Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites , saying , 21:22 “Let us pass through your land ; we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards , nor will we drink water from any well , but we will go along the King’s Highway until we pass your borders .” 21:23 But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border ; he gathered all his forces together and went out against Israel into the wilderness . When he came to Jahaz , he fought against Israel . 21:24 But the Israelites defeated him in battle and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok , as far as the Ammonites , for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended. 21:25 So Israel took all these cities ; and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites , in Heshbon , and in all its villages . 21:26 For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites . Now he had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all of his land from his control , as far as the Arnon . 21:27 That is why those who speak in proverbs say , “Come to Heshbon , let it be built . Let the city of Sihon be established ! 21:28 For fire went out from Heshbon , a flame from the city of Sihon . It has consumed Ar of Moab and the lords of the high places of Arnon . 21:29 Woe to you, Moab . You are ruined , O people of Chemosh ! He has made his sons fugitives , and his daughters the prisoners of King Sihon of the Amorites . 21:30 We have overpowered them; Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon . We have shattered them as far as Nophah , which reaches to Medeba .” 21:31 So the Israelites lived in the land of the Amorites . 21:32 Moses sent spies to reconnoiter Jaazer , and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there . 21:33 Then they turned and went up by the road to Bashan . And King Og of Bashan and all his forces marched out against them to do battle at Edrei .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Moses

    [isbe] MOSES - mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet. I. LIFE 1. Son of Levi 2. Foundling Prince 3. Friend of the Pe...
    [smith] (Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is a...
    [nave] MOSES A Levite and son of Amram, Ex. 2:1-4; 6:20; Acts 7:20; Heb. 11:23. Hidden in an ark, Ex. 2:3. Discovered and adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, Ex. 2:5-10. Learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, Acts 7:22. His loyalt...

  • IMAGES

    [isbe] IMAGES - im'-aj-iz (tselem; eikon): 1. Definition 2. Origin 3. Historical Beginnings and Early Developments 4. Bible References and Palestinian Customs 5. Most Important Technical Terms (1) Matstsebhah ("pillar") (2) 'Ashera...

  • BIBLE, THE, IV CANONICITY

    [isbe] BIBLE, THE, IV CANONICITY - IV. Literary Growth and Origin--Canonicity. Thus far the books of the Old Testament and New Testament have been taken simply as given, and no attempt has been made to inquire how or when they were...

  • Sihon

    [ebd] striking down. The whole country on the east of Jordan, from the Arnon to the Jabbok, was possessed by the Amorites, whose king, Sihon, refused to permit the Israelites to pass through his territory, and put his army in arra...
    [isbe] SIHON - si'-hon (cichon): King of the Amorites, who vainly opposed Israel on their journey from Egypt to Palestine, and who is frequently mentioned in the historical books and in the Psalms because of his prominence and as a...
    [smith] (warrior) king of the Amorites when Israel arrived on the borders of the promised land. (Numbers 21:21) (B.C. 1451.) Shortly before the time of Israel?s arrival he had dispossessed the Moabites of a splendid territory, drivin...
    [nave] SIHON, king of the Amorites. His seat of government at Heshbon, Num. 21:26. The proverbial chant celebrating the victory of Sihon over the Moabites, Num. 21:26-30. Conquest of his kingdom by the Israelites, Num. 21:21-25; D...

  • Amorites

    [isbe] AMORITES - am'-o-rits; Amorites ('emori, always in the singular like the Babylonian Amurru from which it is taken; Amorraioi): 1. Varying Use of the Name Explained 2. The Amorite Kingdom 3. Sihon's Conquest 4. Disappearance ...
    [nave] AMORITES Descendants of Canaan, Gen. 10:15, 16; 1 Chr. 1:13, 14. Were giants, Amos 2:9. Struck by Chedorlaomer and rescued by Abraham, Gen. 14. Territory of, Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:29; 21:13; Deut. 1:4, 7, 19; 3:8, 9; Josh. 5...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL

    [isbe] WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL - won'-der-ingz: I. CONDITIONS 1. The Wilderness 2. Four Separate Regions Included 3. "The Sandy Tract" 4. Description of the Arabah 5. Physical Condition of the Wilderness 6. Difficulties Regarding the ...

  • MOAB; MOABITES

    [isbe] MOAB; MOABITES - mo'-ab, mo'-ab-its (Moab, mo'abh, Moabite Stone, M-'-B; Greek (Septuagint) Moab, he Moabeitis, Moabitis; Moabite, mo'abhi; Moabites, bene mo'abh): 1. The Land: Moab was the district East of the Dead Sea, ext...

  • Heshbon

    [ebd] intelligence, a city ruled over by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Josh. 3:10; 13:17). It was taken by Moses (Num. 21:23-26), and became afterwards a Levitical city (Josh. 21:39) in the tribe of Reuben (Num. 32:37). After the E...
    [isbe] HESHBON - hesh'-bon (cheshbon; Hesebon): The royal city of Sihon king of the Amorites, taken and occupied by the Israelites under Moses (Nu 21:25 f, etc.). It lay on the southern border of Gad (Josh 13:26), and was one of th...
    [smith] (stronghold), the capital city of Sihon king of the Amorites. (Numbers 21:26) It stood on the western border of the high plain --Mishor, (Joshua 13:17) --and on the boundary line between the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The ruin...
    [nave] HESHBON A city of the Amorites, Num. 21:25-35; Deut. 1:4. Built by Reuben, Num. 32:37. Allotted to Gad, Josh. 21:38, 39. Fish-pools at, Song 7:4. Prophecy concerning, Isa. 16:8; Jer. 48:2, 34, 35; 49:1-3.

  • Canaan

    [nave] CANAAN 1. Son of Ham, Gen. 9:18, 22, 25-27. Descendants of, Gen. 10:6, 15; 1 Chr. 1:8, 13. 2. Land of (The history of this region is involved in that of the Israelites. The student is therefore referred to Israel, History ...

  • AMMON; AMMONITES

    [isbe] AMMON; AMMONITES - am'-on, am'-on-its (`ammon; `ammonim): The Hebrew tradition makes this tribe descendants of Lot and hence related to the Israelites (Gen 19:38). This is reflected in the name usually employed in Old Testam...

  • Wars of the Lord, The Book of the

    [ebd] (Num. 21:14, 15), some unknown book so called (comp. Gen. 14:14-16; Ex. 17:8-16; Num. 14:40-45; 21:1-3, 21-25, 33-35; 31. The wars here recorded might be thus designated).

  • Serpent

    [isbe] SERPENT - sur'-pent: 1. General: Serpents are not particularly abundant in Palestine, but they are often mentioned in the Bible. In the Hebrew there are 11 names. The New Testament has four Greek names and the Septuagint emp...
    [smith] The Hebrew word nachash is the generic name of any serpent. The following are the principal biblical allusions to this animal its subtlety is mentioned in (Genesis 3:1) its wisdom is alluded to by our Lord in (Matthew 10:18) ...
    [nave] SERPENT Satan appears in the form of, to Eve, Gen. 3:1-15; 2 Cor. 11:3. Subtlety of, Gen. 3:1; Eccl. 10:8; Matt. 10:16. Curse upon, Gen. 3:14, 15; 49:17. Feeds upon the dust, Gen. 3:14; Isa. 65:25; Mic. 7:17. Unfit for f...

  • Suphah

    [ebd] (Num. 21:14, marg.; also R.V.), a place at the south-eastern corner of the Dead Sea, the Ghor es-Safieh. This name is found in an ode quoted from the "Book of the Wars of the Lord," probably a collection of odes commemoratin...
    [isbe] SUPHAH - soo'-fa (suphah, for wahebh becuphah; Septuagint reads ten Zoob ephlogise; the King James Version Rea Sea): Suphah is the region in which Vaheb is situated (Nu 21:14). It is probably identical with Suph of Dt 1:1. T...
    [nave] SUPHAH Num. 21:14

  • Arnon

    [isbe] ARNON - ar'-non ('arnon; Arnon): Is first mentioned in Nu 21:24 as the border between Moab and the Amorites. "The valleys of Arnon" in the next verse undoubtedly indicate the numerous wadies contributary to the main stream. ...
    [smith] (roaring), the river or torrent which formed the boundary between Moab and the Amorites, on the north of Moab, (Numbers 21:13,14,24,26; Judges 11:22) and afterwards between Moab and Israel (Reuben). (2:24,36; 3:8,12,16; 4:48;...
    [nave] ARNON A river emptying into the Dead Sea from the east. Boundary between Moabites and Amorites, Num. 21:13, 14, 26; 22:36; Deut. 2:24, 36; 3:8, 16; Josh. 12:1. Fords of, Isa. 16:2. Miracles at, Num. 21:14.

  • Ar

    [smith] (a city), or Ar of Moab, one of the chief places of Moab. (Numbers 21:28; Isaiah 15:1) In later times the place known as Areopolis and Rabbath-Moab. The site still called Rabba . It lies about halfway between Kerak and the Wa...
    [nave] AR, a city of Moab, Num. 21:15; Deut. 2:9, 18, 24, 29. Destruction of, Num. 21:26-30; Isa. 15:1.

  • Hormah

    [ebd] banning; i.e., placing under a "ban," or devoting to utter destruction. After the manifestation of God's anger against the Israelites, on account of their rebellion and their murmurings when the spies returned to the camp at...
    [isbe] HORMAH - hor'-ma (chormah): A city first mentioned in connection with the defeat of the Israelites by the Amalekites and the Canaanites, when, after the ten spies who brought an evil report of the land had died of plague, th...
    [nave] HORMAH A city S.W. of the Dead Sea, Num. 14:45; 21:1-3; Deut. 1:44. Taken by Judah and Simeon, Judg. 1:17; Josh. 12:14. Allotted to Simeon, Josh. 19:4; 1 Chr. 4:30. Within the territory allotted to Judah, Josh. 15:30; 1 S...

  • Mattanah

    [ebd] a gift, a station of the Israelites (Num. 21:18, 19) between the desert and the borders of Moab, in the Wady Waleh.
    [isbe] MATTANAH - mat'-a-na (mattanah; Codex Vaticanus, Manthanaein; Codex Alexandrinus, Manthanein): A station of the Israelites which seems to have lain between Beer and Nahaliel (Nu 21:18 f). The name means "gift," and might not...
    [smith] (gift of Jehovah), a station the latter part of the wandering of the Israelites. (Numbers 21:18,19) It was probably situated to the southeast of the Dead Sea.
    [nave] MATTANAH, a station of Israel, Num. 21:18, 19.

  • Intercession

    [isbe] INTERCESSION - in-ter-sesh'-un (pagha`, "to make intercession"; originally "to strike upon," or "against"; then in a good sense, "to assail anyone with petitions," "to urge," and when on behalf of another, "to intercede" (Ru...
    [nave] INTERCESSION. Of One Person with Another 1 Sam. 2:25 Instances of: Reuben for Joseph, Gen. 37:21, 22. Judah for Joseph, Gen. 37:26, 27. Pharaoh's chief baker for Joseph, Gen. 41:9-13, with Gen. 40:14. Jonathan for David...

  • Beer

    [isbe] BEER - be'-er (be'er; phrear; Latin puteus = "well"): (1) A station on the march of the Israelites to the North of the Arnon (Nu 21:16). Here it was that they sang round the well this song: `Spring up O well; greet it with s...
    [smith] (a well). One of the latest halting-places of the Israelites, lying beyond the Arnon. (Numbers 21:16-18) This is possibly the BEER-ELIM of (Isaiah 15:8) A place to which Jotham, the son of Gideon, fled for fear of his brothe...
    [nave] BEER 1. A station of the Israelites, Num. 21:16-18. 2. A town in the tribe of Judah, Judg. 9:21.
more

Arts

Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • [Num 21:8] Another Look At The Cross
  • [Num 21:8] I’ve A Message From The Lord

Questions

  • The great songs of the Old Testament, besides the Psalms and certain metrical passages in Job, are: Lantech's Sword Song, Gen. 4:23,24; Noah's Song, Gen. 9:25-27; Moses' and Miriam's Song, Ex. 15:1-19,21; War Songs, etc., Num...
  • They were the descendants of Lot and were neighbors of the Amorites on the opposite side of the River Arnon (Num. 21:13). They were governed by kings and possessed many great cities (Num. 21:28-30; Is. 15:1; Num. 23:7). They ...
  • They were one of the seven nations of Canaan and were governed by many independent kings (Josh. 5:1; Josh. 9:10). They originally inhabited a mountain district in the south (Num. 13:29), but later acquired an extensive tract ...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 14:1-4 Scholars have not been able to locate definitely the sites referred to in verse 2."An Egyptian papyrus associates Baal Zephon with Tahpahnes . . . a known site near Lake Menzaleh in the northeastern delta region."235Ho...
  • Whereas the Israelites had feared the possibility of having to battle the Egyptians (14:10) they now did engage in battle with the Amalekites."The primary function of this section in its present location is the demonstration ...
  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • Perhaps it was God's exaltation of Moses by bestowing the gift of prophecy on the elders that provoked the envy of Miriam and Aaron. God reminded the people of Moses' special endowment with the Spirit when He blessed the elde...
  • Having received their sentence from the Lord, the people then presumptuously proceeded to go up on their own to take the land (vv. 40-42)."They are like children who had broken a valuable vase and decided to make it better' b...
  • Here begins the fourth and last leg of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.1. From Egypt to Sinai (Exod. 12-19)2. From Sinai to Kadesh (Num. 11-12)3. From Kadesh back to Kadesh--38 years of wilderness wand...
  • The cloudy pillar led the Israelites, but apparently Moses had reason to believe that God was directing them eastward into the territory of Edom and from there north to Transjordan. Consequently he sent messengers to the King...
  • "Arad was a large town in the northern Negeb, about 17 miles . . . south of Hebron."179"Atharim"means "the spies"(v. 1). Evidently this is the route the Israelite spies had taken into Canaan.The Canaanites of Arad took the of...
  • The Israelites next traveled to the southeast around the southern border of Edom. They took "the way of the Red Sea"(v. 4), a road to the town of Elath that stood at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqabah.182This route took t...
  • The list of stopping places Moses recorded here differs from the one in 33:41-49. Apparently neither list is complete but both are selective. Archaeologists have not yet identified most of the sites Moses mentioned here. The ...
  • This account fits chronologically after 21:13. It records two great victories that God gave His people over two of the mighty Amorite kings."The term Amorite has various meanings in the OT: Canaanites generally (e.g., Gen. 15...
  • Heshbon was a city, but Bashan was a territory. Bashan lay north of the Yarmuk Wadi. Evidently at the time of Israel's conquest Og controlled the territory south of the Yarmuk as far as the Jabbok, the area known as Gilead.19...
  • 22:1-20 Moab had not attacked Israel as the people of God had moved north along Moab's eastern border. In fact the Moabites sold the Israelites bread and water (Deut. 2:29). The Moabites probably counted on Sihon, who had for...
  • Another preparation for entering Canaan involved appointing a new leader to take Moses' place.God foretold that Moses would die without entering the land (cf. 20:1-13). Graciously He allowed His servant to see the Promised La...
  • Forty-two stations appear in the list. Eighteen do not appear elsewhere in the record of the journey (vv. 13, 19-29), and four mentioned previously are absent in this chapter (cf. 11:3; 21:19). Obviously this is a selective l...
  • The Book of Numbers is a lesson in the importance of trust and obedience. The Israelites frequently failed to trust and obey God in the hours of their trials, and consequently God postponed His blessing. Most of them never en...
  • This narrative closely parallels the one in Numbers 21:21-32. In this account Moses emphasized for the people God's faithfulness to them. Note especially verses 25, 29, 30, 31, 33, and 36."All the nations under heaven' (v. 25...
  • This record is also very similar to the previous account of this conquest in Numbers 21:33-35, though Moses provided more information here. Again Moses interpreted Israel's history to emphasize God's faithfulness. The land of...
  • After receiving the reminder of his death and as one of his final official acts as Israel's leader, Moses pronounced a prophetic blessing on the tribes of Israel (cf. Gen. 49)."In the ancient Near East, a dying father's final...
  • 5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. T...
  • The Israelites' return to apostasy brought discipline from two different directions at the same time. In the east the Ammonites oppressed Israel while in the west God raised up the Philistines."The acuter pressure at this sta...
  • God's Spirit then clothed Jephthah guaranteeing divine enablement and victory in the approaching encounter with the Ammonite army (v. 29; cf. 3:10; 6:34; 14:6, 19; 1 Sam. 10:10). He travelled through Gilead in the tribal terr...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • 135:4-7 The sovereignty of God is what called forth the poet's praise in this psalm. The Lord chose Israel as His special treasure (cf. Deut. 7:6). He is also greater than all the pagan gods because He does whatever pleases H...
  • There are several thematic connections between this chapter and chapter 28.298The general structure of the chapter is chiastic."AContemporary events: Egypt no help (1-7)BComing human events: the refusal of the word, the way o...
  • This section develops the ideas that preceded by unfolding the characteristics of Yahweh that His people needed to appreciate in view of the shocking news that their new Moses would be Cyrus. It opens with an emphasis on God ...
  • 8:13 The Lord also declared that He would snatch the Judahites from their land. He had gone forth among His people to gather a harvest of righteousness, but all He found on His vines and fig trees was withered leaves, no grap...
  • This oracle is similar to the one in Isaiah 15 and 16.555Other oracles against Moab appear in Ezekiel 25:8-11, Amos 2:1-3, and Zephaniah 2:9, but this is the longest one. It is very difficult to say when Jeremiah gave this or...
  • There are several similarities between this last vision and the first one (1:7-17) indicating a return to ideas introduced at the beginning of this chiastic series of revelations. Again there is a group of horses of various c...
  • The focus now changes from physical to spiritual deliverance (cf. Deut. 30:1-10).12:10 The Lord also promised to pour out on the Davidic rulers and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, representing all the Israelites, a spirit of re...
  • John now presented evidence that Jesus knew people as no others did and that many believed in His name (2:23). This constitutes further witness that He is the Son of God. John summarized several conversations that Jesus had w...
  • Though idolatry was the cause of Israel's failure and the focus of Paul's warning to this church, four other evil characteristics of Israel also seem to have marked the Corinthians. These characteristics also resulted in the ...
  • v. 10 The things the false teachers did not understand but reviled probably refer to aspects of God's revealed will that they chose to reject (cf. 1 Cor. 2:7-16)."Jude, like his brother James, denounces the sins of the tongue...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore h...
Back to Commentary Page
Display Bible



Universal Search:

NET Only
Exact Search
Commentary
Study Dictionary
Word Study
Lexicon
Study Maps System
Sermon Illustrations
Expository
Arts
Resource
Daily Bible Reading
Training Video
Classic NET Bible
iPhone NET Bible
Mobile Bible
TIP #25: [ALL]
created in 0.06 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA