Numbers 21:17

17 Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin of the well;

Numbers 21:17 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:17

Then Israel sang this song
Being affected with the free favour and good will of God towards them:

spring up, O well;
for the springing up of which they prayed in faith, believing in the promise of God, that it would spring up; and so encouraged one another not only to believe it, but even to sing on account of it before it actually did:

sing ye unto it;
or on account of it praise the Lord for it; or "answer to it" ^F13, it being their manner to sing their songs by responses, or alternately.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (hl wne) "respondete ei", Montanus; "alternis canite ei", Tigurine version, Piscator.

Numbers 21:17 In-Context

15 And he has appointed brooks to cause Er to dwell ; and it lies near to the coasts of Moab.

16 And thence the well; this the well of which the Lord said to Moses, Gather the people, and I will give them water to drink.

17 Then Israel sang this song at the well, Begin of the well;

18 the princes digged it, the kings of the nations in their kingdom, in their lordship sank it in the rock: and from the well to Manthanain,

19 and from Manthanain to Naaliel, and from Naaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to Janen, which is in the plain of Moab from the top of the quarried that looks toward the wilderness.

Footnotes

• [a]. of the well for it