Numbers 21:18-28

18 The well dug by princes And by leaders of the people, Dug with a royal scepter And with their walking sticks." They moved from the wilderness to Mattanah,

19 and from there they went on to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20 and from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of the Moabites, below the top of Mount Pisgah, looking out over the desert.

21 Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the Amorite king Sihon to say:

22 "Let us pass through your land. We and our cattle will not leave the road and go into your fields or vineyards, and we will not drink water from your wells; we will stay on the main road until we are out of your territory."

23 But Sihon would not permit the people of Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered his army and went out to Jahaz in the wilderness and attacked the Israelites.

24 But the Israelites killed many of the enemy in battle and occupied their land from the Arnon River north to the Jabbok, that is, to the Ammonites, because the Ammonite border was strongly defended.

25 So the people of Israel captured all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all the surrounding towns, and settled in them.

26 Heshbon was the capital city of the Amorite king Sihon, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had captured all his land as far as the Arnon River.

27 That is why the poets sing, "Come to Heshbon, to King Sihon's city! We want to see it rebuilt and restored.

28 Once from this city of Heshbon ¹ Sihon's army went forth like a fire; It destroyed the city of Ar in Moab And devoured the hills of the upper Arnon.

Numbers 21:18-28 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.

Cross References

• 1. 21.28, 29Jeremiah 48.45, 46.

Footnotes

• [a]. main road; [or] King's Highway.
• [b]. because . . . strongly defended; [some ancient translations] as far as Jazer on the Ammonite border.
• [c]. [One ancient translation] devoured; [Hebrew] the lords of.