Numbers 21:16-26

16 The Israelites went from there to Beer; a well is there where the Lord said to Moses, "Gather the people and I will give them water."

17 Then the Israelites sang this song: "Pour out water, well! Sing about it.

18 Princes dug this well. Important men made it. With their scepters and poles, they dug it." The people went from the desert to Mattanah.

19 From Mattanah they went to Nahaliel and on to Bamoth.

20 From Bamoth they went to the valley of Moab where the top of Mount Pisgah looks over the desert.

21 The Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,

22 "Let us pass through your country. We will not go through any fields of grain or vineyards, or drink water from the wells. We will travel only along the king's road until we have passed through your country."

23 But King Sihon would not let the Israelites pass through his country. He gathered his whole army together, and they marched out to meet Israel in the desert. At Jahaz they fought the Israelites.

24 Israel killed the king and captured his land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They took the land as far as the Ammonite border, which was strongly defended.

25 Israel captured all the Amorite cities and lived in them, taking Heshbon and all the towns around it.

26 Heshbon was the city where Sihon, the Amorite king, lived. In the past he had fought with the king of Moab and had taken all the land as far as the 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.