Numbers 21:1-9

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.

6 And the Lord sent among the people deadly serpents, and they bit the people, and much people of the children of Israel died.

7 And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray therefore to the Lord, and let him take away the serpent from us.

8 And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make thee a serpent, and put it on a signal- ; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one bitten that looks upon it shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a signal- : and it came to pass that whenever a serpent bit a man, and he looked on the brazen serpent, he lived.

Numbers 21:1-9 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. a captivity of them.
• [b]. devoted thing.