Números 21:3

3 Y el SEÑOR escuchó la voz de Israel, y entregó al cananeo, y los destruyó a ellos y a sus ciudades; y llamó el nombre de aquel lugar Horma (destrucción ).

Números 21:3 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:3

And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel
In their prayers and vows; with acceptance heard, and answered them according to their wish:

and delivered up the Canaanites:
into their hands, gave them victory over them:

and they utterly destroyed them and their cities;
that is, "anathematized" them, and devoted them to destruction; for as yet they did not actually destroy them, since we read of Arad afterwards, ( Joshua 12:14 ) , but this they did in Joshua's time, when the whole land of Canaan came into their hands; for had they entered the land now, and took and destroyed the cities belonging to Arad, they would doubtless have proceeded, and pursued their conquests, and not have returned into the wilderness again to go round about Edom, in order to enter another way; many think, as Aben Ezra observes on ( Numbers 21:1 ) that this section was written by Joshua, after the land was subdued:

and he called the name of the place Hormah;
which before was called Zephath, and it seems to have its name from various disasters which happened at this place; as the defeat of the Israelites by the Amalekites, ( Numbers 14:45 ) , and here of the Canaanites by the Israelites, and afterwards of the inhabitants of this place by Judah and Simeon, ( Judges 1:17 ) it had its name from "Cherem", the anathema or destruction it was devoted to.

Números 21:3 In-Context

1 Y oyendo el cananeo, el rey de Arad, el cual habitaba al mediodía, que venía Israel por el camino de los centinelas, peleó con Israel, y tomó de él prisioneros.

2 Entonces Israel hizo voto al SEÑOR, y dijo: Si en efecto entregares a este pueblo en mi mano, yo destruiré sus ciudades.

3 Y el SEÑOR escuchó la voz de Israel, y entregó al cananeo, y los destruyó a ellos y a sus ciudades; y llamó el nombre de aquel lugar Horma (destrucción ).

4 Y partieron del monte de Hor, camino del mar Bermejo, para rodear la tierra de Edom; y el alma del pueblo fue angustiada en el camino.

5 Y habló el pueblo contra Dios y contra Moisés: ¿Por qué nos hiciste venir de Egipto para que muramos en este desierto? Que no hay pan, ni agua, y nuestra alma tiene fastidio de este pan tan liviano.