Numbers 21:9-19

9 So ¹Moses made a bronze^[a] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

The Song of the Well

10 And the people of Israel set out and ²camped in Oboth.

11 ³And they set out from Oboth and ⁴camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise.

12 From there they set out and camped in ⁵the Valley of Zered.

13 From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the ⁶Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, "Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,

15 and the slope of the valleys that extends to the seat of ⁷Ar, and leans to the border of Moab."

16 And from there they continued ⁸to Beer;^[b] that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people together, so that ⁹I may give them water."

17 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well!--Sing to it!--

18 the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with ¹⁰the scepter and with their staffs."And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah,

19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

Numbers 21:9-19 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.

Cross References

• 1. John 3:14, 15; [2 Kings 18:4]
• 2. Numbers 33:43, 44
• 3. [See ver. 10 above]
• 4. [See ver. 10 above]
• 5. Deuteronomy 2:13
• 6. Numbers 22:36; Judges 11:18
• 7. ver. 28; Deut. 2:9, 18, 29; Isaiah 15:1
• 8. [2 Samuel 20:14]
• 9. [Numbers 20:8; Exodus 17:6]
• 10. See Genesis 49:10

Footnotes

• [a]. Or copper
• [b]. Beer means well