Numbers 21:3

3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered the Chananite into his power; and devoted him and his cities, and they called the name of that place Anathema.

Numbers 21:3 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:3

And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel
In their prayers and vows; with acceptance heard, and answered them according to their wish:

and delivered up the Canaanites:
into their hands, gave them victory over them:

and they utterly destroyed them and their cities;
that is, "anathematized" them, and devoted them to destruction; for as yet they did not actually destroy them, since we read of Arad afterwards, ( Joshua 12:14 ) , but this they did in Joshua's time, when the whole land of Canaan came into their hands; for had they entered the land now, and took and destroyed the cities belonging to Arad, they would doubtless have proceeded, and pursued their conquests, and not have returned into the wilderness again to go round about Edom, in order to enter another way; many think, as Aben Ezra observes on ( Numbers 21:1 ) that this section was written by Joshua, after the land was subdued:

and he called the name of the place Hormah;
which before was called Zephath, and it seems to have its name from various disasters which happened at this place; as the defeat of the Israelites by the Amalekites, ( Numbers 14:45 ) , and here of the Canaanites by the Israelites, and afterwards of the inhabitants of this place by Judah and Simeon, ( Judges 1:17 ) it had its name from "Cherem", the anathema or destruction it was devoted to.

Numbers 21:3 In-Context

1 And Arad the Chananitish king who dwelt by the wilderness, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharin; and he made war on Israel, and carried off some of them captives.

2 And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If thou wilt deliver this people into my power, I will devote it and its cities .

3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered the Chananite into his power; and devoted him and his cities, and they called the name of that place Anathema.

4 And having departed from mount Or by the way to the Red Sea, they compassed the land of Edom, and the people lost courage by the way.

5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, saying, Why is this? Hast thou brought us ought of Egypt to slay us in the wilderness? for there is not bread nor water; and our soul loathes this light bread.

Footnotes

• [a]. devoted thing.