Numbers 21:21-35

Sihon and Og Defeated

21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, saying,
22 "Let us go through your land; we will not turn aside into a field or vineyard; we will not drink well water along the way of the king until we have gone through your territory."
23 But Sihon did not allow Israel to go through his territory. Sihon gathered all his people and went out to meet Israel; he came [to] the desert, to Jahaz, and he fought against Israel.
24 But Israel struck him with [the] edge of [the] sword, and they took possession of his land from Arnon to Jabbok, until the {Ammonites}, because the boundary of the {Ammonites} [was] strong.
25 Israel took all these cities, and Israel inhabited all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its environs.
26 Because Heshbon [was] the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land from his hand until Arnon.
27 Thus the ones who quote proverbs say, "Come [to] Heshbon! Let it be built! And let the city of Sihon be established.
28 Because fire went out from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it consumed Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of Arnon.
29 Woe to you, Moab! You have perished, people of Chemosh. He has given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, to the king of the Amorites, Sihon.
30 We destroyed them; Heshbon has perished up to Dibon; we laid waste up to Nophah, which {reaches} Medeba."
31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
32 Moses sent to explore Jaazer; they captured {its environs} and dispossessed the Amorites who [were] there.
33 Then they turned and went up [by] the way of the Bashan, and Og king of the Bashan and all his people went out to meet them for battle [at] Edrei.
34 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Do not fear him because I will give him and all his people and all his land into your hand. You will do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who was living in Heshbon."
35 And so they destroyed him and his sons, and all his people until they had not spared a survivor; and they took possession of his land.

Numbers 21:21-35 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 13

  • [a]. Hebrew "Amorite"
  • [b]. Literally "sons of Ammon"
  • [c]. Literally "sons of Ammon"
  • [d]. Hebrew "Amorite"
  • [e]. Hebrew "her daughters;" other modern versions translate "its villages"
  • [f]. Hebrew "Amorite"
  • [g]. Or "the dominant"
  • [h]. Hebrew "Amorite"
  • [i]. Literally "[is] up to"
  • [j]. Hebrew "Amorite"
  • [k]. Hebrew "her daughters;" other modern versions translate "its villages"
  • [l]. Hebrew "Amorite"
  • [m]. Hebrew "Amorite"
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