Numbers 21:16-26

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.

20 And Moses sent ambassadors to Seon king of the Amorites, with peaceable words, saying,

21 We will pass through thy land, we will go by the road; we will not turn aside to the field or to the vineyard.

22 We will not drink water out of thy well; we will go by the king's highway, until we have past thy boundaries.

23 And Seon did not allow Israel to pass through his borders, and Seon gathered all his people, and went out to set the battle in array against Israel into the wilderness; and he came to Jassa, and set the battle in array against Israel.

24 And Israel smote him with the slaughter of the sword, and they became possessors of his land, from Arnon to Jaboc, as far as the children of Amman, for Jazer is the borders of the children of Amman.

25 And Israel took all their cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Esebon, and in all cities belonging to it.

26 For Esebon is the city of Seon king of the Amorites; and he before fought against the king of Moab, and they took all his land, from Aroer to Arnon.

Numbers 21:16-26 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]. of the well for it
• [b]. Jané but the reading is uncertain.