Numbers 21:7-17

7 And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray therefore to the Lord, and let him take away the serpent from us.

8 And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make thee a serpent, and put it on a signal- ; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one bitten that looks upon it shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a signal- : and it came to pass that whenever a serpent bit a man, and he looked on the brazen serpent, he lived.

10 And the children of Israel departed, and encamped in Oboth.

11 And having departed from Oboth, they encamped in Achalgai, on the farther side in the wilderness, which is opposite Moab, toward the east.

12 And thence they departed, and encamped in the valley of Zared.

13 And they departed thence and encamped on the other side of Arnon in the wilderness, which extends from the coasts of the Amorites; for Arnon is the borders of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14 Therefore it is said in a book, A war of the Lord has set on fire Zoob, and the brooks of Arnon.

15 And he has appointed brooks to cause Er to dwell ; and it lies near to the coasts of Moab.

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;

Numbers 21:7-17 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]. Amorite
• [b]. of the well for it