Numbers 21:14-24

14 Wherefore it is said in the book of battles of the Lord, As he did in the Red Sea, so he shall do in the strands of (the) Arnon; (And so it is said in the Book of the Battles of the Lord, As he did at the Red Sea, so he also did at the Arnon River,)
15 the hard rocks of the strands were bowed down, that they shall rest in Ar, or abide there, and should lie in the coasts of Moabites. (and from the cliffs of the river, down to the city of Ar, that sitteth on the border of Moab.)
16 From that place (they went to where) the well appeared, of which the Lord spake to Moses, Gather thou together the people, and I shall give water to it. (From there they went to Beer, that is, The Well, of which the Lord spoke to Moses, and said, Gather thou the people together, and I shall give them water.)
17 Then Israel sang this song, The water of the well, ascend up; they sang together, (Then Israel sang this song, Go ye up, water of the well; yea, we sing to thee,)
18 The well which the princes digged, and the dukes of the multitude made ready, in the giver of the law, and in their staves (The well from the Giver of the Law, which the leaders dug, yea, which the leaders of the multitude brought forth with their staffs). And (then) they went forth from the wilderness to Mattanah,
19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel into Bamoth;
20 Bamoth is a valley in the country of Moab, in the top of Pisgah, that beholdeth against the desert. (and from Bamoth to the valley in the country of Moab, below the top of Mount Pisgah, that looketh towards Jeshimon, that is, towards the wilderness.)
21 Soothly Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of Amorites, and said, (And the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and they said,)
22 I beseech thee, that it be leaveful to me to pass through thy land; we shall not bow into thy fields, and vineries; we shall not drink waters of thy wells; we shall go in the king's way, till we pass (by) thy terms. (We beseech thee, that it be lawful for us to pass through thy land; we shall not go into thy fields, or into thy vineyards; we shall not drink any water from thy wells; we shall go on the king's highway, until we go out again over thy border.)
23 Which would not grant that Israel should pass through his coasts, but rather, when his host was gathered, he went out against Israel, into desert. And he came into Jahaz, and fought against Israel; (But Sihon would not allow the Israelites to pass through his land, but rather, when his host was gathered together, he went out into the wilderness against them. And he came into Jahaz, and fought against the Israelites;)
24 of whom he was smitten in the sharpness of sword, and his land was wielded of Israel from (the) Arnon unto (the) Jabbok, and Ammon's sons, or his host; for the coasts of Ammonites were holden with strong help, or power. (but Sihon and the Amorites were struck down by the sharpness of the Israelites? swords, and his land was taken by them, from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, that is, up to the land of the Ammonites; for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended.)

Numbers 21:14-24 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.