Numbers 21:2

2 Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy^[a] their cities.”

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Numbers 21:2 in Other Translations

KJV

2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

ESV

2 And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD and said, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction."

NLT

2 Then the people of Israel made this vow to the LORD : “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns.”

MSG

2 Israel vowed a vow to God: "If you will give this people into our power, we'll destroy their towns and present the ruins to you as a holy destruction."

CSB

2 Then Israel made a vow to the Lord, "If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will completely destroy their cities."

Numbers 21:2 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:2

And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord
The Israelites made supplication to the Lord for help against their enemies, and that he would give them victory over them, and made promises to him:

and said, if thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand;
certainly and entirely deliver them, so as that a complete victory shall be obtained over them:

then will I utterly destroy their cities;
or "anathematize", or devote them to utter destruction ^F15; slay man and beast, burn their houses and take their goods, not for a spoil, for their own private use, but reserve them for the service of God; all which is implied in the vow made, as was done to Jericho, ( Joshua 6:21 Joshua 6:24 ) and so it is a vow, as Abendana observes, of what they would do when they came to the land of Canaan.

FOOTNOTES:

F15 (ytmrxhw) "et anathematisabo", Montanus; "devovebo", Tigurine version.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Numbers 21:2 In-Context

1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.

2 Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.”

3 The LORD listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.

4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;

5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

Cross References 2

1. Leviticus 7:16
2. ver 3; Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 2:34; Joshua 2:10; Joshua 8:26; Jeremiah 25:9; Jeremiah 50:21

Footnotes 1

[a]. The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.