Numbers 21

Jesus referred to this incident in John 3:14–15, when He said: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,so the Son of Man must be lifted up (on the cross), that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Just as the Israelites received physical life by looking at the bronze snake, so we receive ETERNAL LIFE by looking at Jesus and believing in Him.⁷²

The Journey to Moab (21:10–20)

10–20 In this section the journey to Moab is described; on the way the Lord continued to provide for His people. In particular, the provision of water is mentioned: the Lord led them to Beer (verse 16), which means “well”; and Israel responded gratefully in song (verses 17–18).

Finally the Israelites reached Moab (verse 20), located north of Edom and east of the Dead Sea. But they did not actually enter Moab; they journeyed around its eastern border and came to the land of the Amorites.

Defeat of Sihon and Og (21:21–35)

21–26 The land of the Amorites lay north of Moab and east of the Jordan River. The Israelites needed to pass through this land in order to reach Canaan. Just as Moses had written earlier to the king of Edom (Numbers 20:14), so now he wrote to the king of the Amorites, Sihon, asking for safe passage through his territory (verse 21). Sihon refused. But unlike the land of Edom, which the Lord had reserved for the descendants of Esau (Deuteronomy 2:4–6), the land of the Amorites was to be taken by the Israelites (Genesis 15:16). War was waged, and the Amorites were defeated (verse 24). All their cities were taken, including Heshbon, Sihon’s capital city (verse 25).

According to Deuteronomy 2:24–37, it was the Lord who made Sihon stubborn and obstinate, just as He had earlier hardened Pharaoh’s heart in Egypt (see Exodus 4:21 and comment); the Lord hardened Sihon’s heart in order to give him into Israel’s hands (Deuteronomy 2:30). The Lord did this not only because Sihon and the Amorites were themselves wicked, but also because He wanted the surrounding nations to fear the Israelites and the Lord who fought on their side (Deuteronomy 2:24–25). So, as they had done to Arad (verses 1–3), the Israelites completely destroyed⁷³ all of the Amorite cities, along with their inhabitants (Deuteronomy 2:34).

27–31 At an earlier time, the Amorites had conquered the northern part of Moab (verse 26). Now the Israelites had conquered the Amorites. These verses record a poem about Israel’s victory. In verses 28 and 29, the Amorites’ victory over Moab is mentioned; then in verse 31, Israel’s victory over the Amorites is mentioned. The point of the poem is this: If the Amorites defeated Moab, and the Israelites subsequently defeated the Amorites, what then might the Israelites do to Moab? This question will be dealt with in the next chapter.⁷⁴

32–35 After Israel had conquered the land of the Amorites, Moses turned his attention toward Bashan (verse 33), a region lying northeast of the Sea of Galilee in what is now Syria. Og king of Bashan came out to fight the Israelites; but again God handed him, his army, and all of Bashan over to the Israelites.⁷⁵ These victories over Sihon and Og brought the whole region east of the Jordan River into Israel’s possession; this region, called Transjordan, would soon become the inheritance of three of Israel’s twelve tribes: Reuben, Gad and Manasseh.

The defeats of Sihon and Og were later celebrated in song to commemorate the Lord’s giving of their armies and lands into the Israelites’ hands (Psalms 135:1012; 136:17–22). As in their victory over the king of Arad (verses 1–3), the Israelites prevailed over Sihon and Og because they fought them in obediencetothe Lord’s command and in dependence on His might (verse 34).