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Numbers 21:15-25

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15 even the slopes of the ravines that extend to the site of Ar[a] and lie along the border of Moab.
16 From there [they went] to Beer,[b] the well the Lord told Moses about, "Gather the people so I may give them water."
17 Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, well-sing to it!
18 The princes dug the well; The nobles of the people hollowed it out with a scepter and with their staffs. [They went] from the wilderness to Mattanah,
19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,
20 from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of Moab near the Pisgah highlands[c] that overlook the wasteland.[d] [e]

Amorite Kings Defeated

21 Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon[f] king of the Amorites:
22 "Let us travel through your land. We won't go into the fields or vineyards. We won't drink [any] well water. We will travel the King's Highway until we have traveled through your territory."[g]
23 But Sihon would not let Israel travel through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz,[h] he fought against Israel.
24 Israel struck him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok,[i] [but only up] to the Ammonite border, because it was fortified.[j]
25 Israel took all the cities and lived in all these Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its villages.
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Numbers 21:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 21

This chapter gives an account of the defeat of King Arad, the Canaanite, Nu 21:1-3 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, Nu 21:4-6 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, Nu 21:7-9 and of the several journeys and stations of the children of Israel, until they came to the land of the Amorites, Nu 21:10-20, 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, Nu 21:21-32 and the chapter is concluded with the defeat of Og, king of Bashan, Nu 21:33-35.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 10

  • [a]. A city in Moab; Nm 21:28; Dt 2:9,18,29; Isa 15:1
  • [b]. well
  • [c]. Moabite mountain plateau; Nm 23:14; Dt 3:17,27; 4:49; 34:1; Jos 12:3; 13:20
  • [d]. Or overlook Jeshimon
  • [e]. Nm 23:28
  • [f]. Nm 32:33; Dt 1:4; 2:24-4:46
  • [g]. Nm 20:17; Dt 2:26-33
  • [h]. Dt 2:32; Jdg 11:20; 1 Ch 6:78
  • [i]. Jdg 11:19-22
  • [j]. Or was at Az; LXX reads was Jazer
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