Numbers 21:29

29 How terrible for you, people of Moab! You worshipers of Chemosh are brought to ruin! Your god let the men become refugees, And the women became captives of the Amorite king.

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 That is why the poets sing, "Come to Heshbon, to King Sihon's city! We want to see it rebuilt and restored.

28 Once from this city of Heshbon Sihon's army went forth like a fire; It destroyed the city of Ar in Moab And devoured the hills of the upper Arnon.

29 How terrible for you, people of Moab! You worshipers of Chemosh are brought to ruin! Your god let the men become refugees, And the women became captives of the Amorite king.

30 But now their descendants are destroyed, All the way from Heshbon to Dibon, From Nashim to Nophah, near Medeba."

31 So the people of Israel settled in the territory of the Amorites,