Numbers 21:17

17 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing ye unto it!

Numbers 21:17 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 21:17

Then Israel sang this song
Being affected with the free favour and good will of God towards them:

spring up, O well;
for the springing up of which they prayed in faith, believing in the promise of God, that it would spring up; and so encouraged one another not only to believe it, but even to sing on account of it before it actually did:

sing ye unto it;
or on account of it praise the Lord for it; or "answer to it" ^F13, it being their manner to sing their songs by responses, or alternately.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F13 (hl wne) "respondete ei", Montanus; "alternis canite ei", Tigurine version, Piscator.

Numbers 21:17 In-Context

15 and at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar and lieth upon the border of Moab.

16 And from thence they went to Beer. That is the well whereof the LORD spoke unto Moses: "Gather the people together, and I will give them water."

17 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing ye unto it!

18 The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people dug it by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves." And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,

19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,