Numbers 21:2-12

2 Then Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

3 And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanite; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and he called the name of the place Hormah. {Heb. destruction}

4 And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread.

6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.

7 Then the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against thee; pray unto the LORD that he take away these serpents from among us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent and lift it up as a banner, and it shall be that anyone that is bitten and looks upon it shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it up as a banner, and it came to pass that when a serpent bit anyone, he beheld the serpent of brass, and lived.

10 And the sons of Israel set forward and pitched camp in Oboth.

11 And they journeyed from Oboth and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the rising of the sun.

12 From there they removed and pitched in the valley of Zared.

Numbers 21:2-12 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.