Numbers 21:29

29 Woe 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.

Numbers 21:29 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:29

Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone
The whole country ruined, or likely to be so:

O people of Chemosh;
which was the name of their idol, who is called the abomination of the Moabites, ( 1 Kings 11:7 ) (See Gill on Jeremiah 48:7):

he hath given his sons that escaped;
that is, the idol Chemosh had given his sons, the men of the country that worshipped him, who escaped the sword of the Amorites, these,

and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites;
who took captive what he slew not, or would do so, Chemosh their god not being able to preserve them, but obliged to deliver them up: thus the composers of this song insult the god of the Moabites, as it was usual for conquerors so to do; see ( Isaiah 10:10 Isaiah 10:11 ) ( 36:18-20 ) , though some think these are the words of the Israelites, making their observations upon the above song, which ends at verse twenty eight, and scoffing at the idol of the Moabites.

Numbers 21:29 In-Context

27 Therefore 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.

29 Woe 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."

31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.