Numbers 21:5-15

5 And the people spake agenst God and agenst Moses: wherfore hast thou brought us out of Egipte for to dye in the wildernesse for here is nether bred nor water and oure soules lotheth this lyghte bred.

6 Then the Lorde sent fyrie serpentes amoge the people which stonge them: so that moch people dyed in Israel.

7 And the people came to Moses and sayed: we haue synned for we haue spoken agenst the Lorde and agenst the make intercession to the Lorde that he take awaye the serpentes from us And Moses made intercession for the people.

8 And the Lorde sayed vnto Moses: make the a serpent ad hage it vpp for a sygne and lett as many as are bytten loke apon it and they shall lyue.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brasse ad sett it vp for a sygne And when the serpentes had bytten any man he went and behelde the serpent of brasse and recouered.

10 And the childern of Israel remoued and pitched in Oboth.

11 And they departed from Oboth and laye at Egebarim in the wildernesse which is before Moab on the east syde.

12 And they remoued thence and pitched apon the ryuer of zarad.

13 And they departed thence and pitched on the other syde of Arno which ryuer is in the wildernesse and cometh out of the costes of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab betwene Moab and the Amorites.

14 Wherfore it is spoken in the boke of the warre of the Lorde: goo with a violence both on the ryuer of Arnon

15 and on the ryuers heed whiche shoteth doune to dwell at Ar and leneth vppon the costes of Moab.

Numbers 21:5-15 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.