25 And Israel H3478 took H3947 all these cities: H5892 and Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in all the cities H5892 of the Amorites, H567 in Heshbon, H2809 and in all the villages H1323 thereof.
Thus Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 in the land H776 of the Amorites. H567
And Moses H4872 gave H5414 unto them, even to the children H1121 of Gad, H1410 and to the children H1121 of Reuben, H7205 and unto half H2677 the tribe H7626 of Manasseh H4519 the son H1121 of Joseph, H3130 the kingdom H4467 of Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 and the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 the land, H776 with the cities H5892 thereof in the coasts, H1367 even the cities H5892 of the country H776 round about. H5439 And the children H1121 of Gad H1410 built H1129 Dibon, H1769 and Ataroth, H5852 and Aroer, H6177 And Atroth, Shophan, H5855 and Jaazer, H3270 and Jogbehah, H3011 And Bethnimrah, H1039 and Bethharan, H1028 fenced H4013 cities: H5892 and folds H1448 for sheep. H6629 And the children H1121 of Reuben H7205 built H1129 Heshbon, H2809 and Elealeh, H500 and Kirjathaim, H7156 And Nebo, H5015 and Baalmeon, H1186 (their names H8034 being changed,) H4142 and Shibmah: H7643 and gave H7121 other names H8034 H8034 unto the cities H5892 which they builded. H1129 And the children H1121 of Machir H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh H4519 went H3212 to Gilead, H1568 and took H3920 it, and dispossessed H3423 the Amorite H567 which was in it. And Moses H4872 gave H5414 Gilead H1568 unto Machir H4353 the son H1121 of Manasseh; H4519 and he dwelt H3427 therein. And Jair H2971 the son H1121 of Manasseh H4519 went H1980 and took H3920 the small towns H2333 thereof, and called H7121 them Havothjair. H2334 And Nobah H5025 went H1980 and took H3920 Kenath, H7079 and the villages H1323 thereof, and called H7121 it Nobah, H5025 after his own name. H8034
The Horims H2752 also dwelt H3427 in Seir H8165 beforetime; H6440 but the children H1121 of Esau H6215 succeeded H3423 them, when they had destroyed H8045 them from before H6440 them, and dwelt H3427 in their stead; as Israel H3478 did H6213 unto the land H776 of his possession, H3425 which the LORD H3068 gave H5414 unto them.
Thy neck H6677 is as a tower H4026 of ivory; H8127 thine eyes H5869 like the fishpools H1295 in Heshbon, H2809 by the gate H8179 of Bathrabbim: H1337 thy nose H639 is as the tower H4026 of Lebanon H3844 which looketh H6822 toward H6440 Damascus. H1834
And Heshbon H2809 shall cry, H2199 and Elealeh: H500 their voice H6963 shall be heard H8085 even unto Jahaz: H3096 therefore the armed soldiers H2502 of Moab H4124 shall cry out; H7321 his life H5315 shall be grievous H3415 unto him.
For the fields H7709 of Heshbon H2809 languish, H535 and the vine H1612 of Sibmah: H7643 the lords H1167 of the heathen H1471 have broken down H1986 the principal plants H8291 thereof, they are come H5060 even unto Jazer, H3270 they wandered H8582 through the wilderness: H4057 her branches H7976 are stretched out, H5203 they are gone over H5674 the sea. H3220 Therefore I will bewail H1058 with the weeping H1065 of Jazer H3270 the vine H1612 of Sibmah: H7643 I will water H7301 thee with my tears, H1832 O Heshbon, H2809 and Elealeh: H500 for the shouting H1959 for thy summer fruits H7019 and for thy harvest H7105 is fallen. H5307
There shall be no more praise H8416 of Moab: H4124 in Heshbon H2809 they have devised H2803 evil H7451 against it; come, H3212 and let us cut it off H3772 from being a nation. H1471 Also thou shalt be cut down, H1826 O Madmen; H4086 the sword H2719 shall pursue H3212 thee. H310
From the cry H2201 of Heshbon H2809 even unto Elealeh, H500 and even unto Jahaz, H3096 have they uttered H5414 their voice, H6963 from Zoar H6820 even unto Horonaim, H2773 as an heifer H5697 of three years old: H7992 for the waters H4325 also of Nimrim H5249 shall be desolate. H4923
They that fled H5127 stood H5975 under the shadow H6738 of Heshbon H2809 because of the force: H3581 but a fire H784 shall come forth H3318 out of Heshbon, H2809 and a flame H3852 from the midst H996 of Sihon, H5511 and shall devour H398 the corner H6285 of Moab, H4124 and the crown of the head H6936 of the tumultuous H7588 ones. H1121
And thine elder H1419 sister H269 is Samaria, H8111 she and her daughters H1323 that dwell H3427 at thy left hand: H8040 and thy younger H6996 sister, H269 that dwelleth H3427 at thy right hand, H3225 is Sodom H5467 and her daughters. H1323
Behold, this was the iniquity H5771 of thy sister H269 Sodom, H5467 pride, H1347 fulness H7653 of bread, H3899 and abundance H7962 of idleness H8252 was in her and in her daughters, H1323 neither did she strengthen H2388 the hand H3027 of the poor H6041 and needy. H34
When I shall bring again H7725 their captivity, H7622 H7622 the captivity H7622 H7622 of Sodom H5467 and her daughters, H1323 and the captivity H7622 H7622 of Samaria H8111 and her daughters, H1323 then will I bring again the captivity H7622 H7622 of thy captives H7622 in the midst H8432 of them:
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 21
Commentary on Numbers 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
Nu 21:1-35. Israel Attacked by the Canaanites.
1. King Arad the Canaanite—rather, "the Canaanite king of Arad"—an ancient town on the southernmost borders of Palestine, not far from Kadesh. A hill called Tell Arad marks the spot.
heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies—in the way or manner of spies, stealthily, or from spies sent by himself to ascertain the designs and motions of the Israelites. The Septuagint and others consider the Hebrew word "spies" a proper name, and render it: "Came by the way of Atharim towards Arad" [Kennicott].
he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners—This discomfiture was permitted to teach them to expect the conquest of Canaan not from their own wisdom and valor, but solely from the favor and help of God (De 9:4; Ps 44:3, 4).
2, 3. Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord—Made to feel their own weakness, they implored the aid of Heaven, and, in anticipation of it, devoted the cities of this king to future destruction. The nature and consequence of such anathemas are described (Le 27:1-34; De 13:1-18). This vow of extermination against Arad [Nu 21:2] gave name to the place Hormah (slaughter and destruction) though it was not accomplished till after the passage of the Jordan. Others think Hormah the name of a town mentioned (Jos 12:14).
4. they journeyed from mount Hor—On being refused the passage requested, they returned through the Arabah, "the way of the Red Sea," to Elath, at the head of the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, and thence passed up through the mountains to the eastern desert, so as to make the circuit of the land of Edom (Nu 33:41, 42).
the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way—Disappointment on finding themselves so near the confines of the promised land without entering it; vexation at the refusal of a passage through Edom and the absence of any divine interposition in their favor; and above all, the necessity of a retrograde journey by a long and circuitous route through the worst parts of a sandy desert and the dread of being plunged into new and unknown difficulties—all this produced a deep depression of spirits. But it was followed, as usually, by a gross outburst of murmuring at the scarcity of water, and of expressions of disgust at the manna.
5. our soul loatheth this light bread—that is, bread without substance or nutritious quality. The refutation of this calumny appears in the fact, that on the strength of this food they performed for forty years so many and toilsome journeys. But they had been indulging a hope of the better and more varied fare enjoyed by a settled people; and disappointment, always the more bitter as the hope of enjoyment seems near, drove them to speak against God and against Moses (1Co 10:9).
6. The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people—That part of the desert where the Israelites now were—near the head of the gulf of Akaba—is greatly infested with venomous reptiles, of various kinds, particularly lizards, which raise themselves in the air and swing themselves from branches; and scorpions, which, being in the habit of lying in long grass, are particularly dangerous to the barelegged, sandaled people of the East. The only known remedy consists in sucking the wound, or, in the case of cattle, in the application of ammonia. The exact species of serpents that caused so great mortality among the Israelites cannot be ascertained. They are said to have been "fiery," an epithet applied to them either from their bright, vivid color, or the violent inflammation their bite occasioned.
7-9. the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned—The severity of the scourge and the appalling extent of mortality brought them to a sense of sin, and through the intercessions of Moses, which they implored, they were miraculously healed. He was directed to make the figure of a serpent in brass, to be elevated on a pole or standard, that it might be seen at the extremities of the camp and that every bitten Israelite who looked to it might be healed. This peculiar method of cure was designed, in the first instance, to show that it was the efficacy of God's power and grace, not the effect of nature or art, and also that it might be a type of the power of faith in Christ to heal all who look to Him because of their sins (Joh 3:14, 15; see also on 2Ki 18:4).
10. the children of Israel set forward—along the eastern frontier of the Edomites, encamping in various stations.
12. pitched in the valley—literally, the "woody brook-valley" of Zared (De 2:13; Isa 15:7; Am 6:14). This torrent rises among the mountains to the east of Moab, and flowing west, empties itself into the Dead Sea. Ije-Abarim is supposed to have been its ford [Calmet].
13. pitched on the other side of Arnon—now El-Mojib, a deep, broad, and rapid stream, dividing the dominions of the Moabites and Amorites.
14. book of the wars of the Lord—A fragment or passage is here quoted from a poem or history of the wars of the Israelites, principally with a view to decide the position of Arnon.
15. Ar—the capital of Moab.
16. from thence they went to Beer—that is, a "well." The name was probably given to it afterwards [see Jud 9:21], as it is not mentioned (Nu 33:1-56).
17, 18. Then Israel sang—This beautiful little song was in accordance with the wants and feelings of travelling caravans in the East, where water is an occasion both of prayer and thanksgiving. From the princes using their official rods only, and not spades, it seems probable that this well was concealed by the brushwood or the sand, as is the case with many wells in Idumea still. The discovery of it was seasonable, and owing to the special interposition of God.
21-23. Israel sent messengers unto Sihon—The rejection of their respectful and pacific message was resented—Sihon was discomfited in battle—and Israel obtained by right of conquest the whole of the Amorite dominions.
24. from Arnon unto Jabbok—now the Zurka. These rivers formed the southern and northern boundaries of his usurped territory.
for the border of … Ammon was strong—a reason stated for Sihon not being able to push his invasion further.
25. Israel dwelt in all the cities—after exterminating the inhabitants who had been previously doomed (De 2:34).
26. Heshbon—(So 7:4)—situated sixteen English miles north of the Arnon, and from its ruins it appears to have been a large city.
27-30. Wherefore they that speak in proverbs—Here is given an extract from an Amorite song exultingly anticipating an extension of their conquests to Arnon. The quotation from the poem of the Amorite bard ends at Nu 21:28. The two following verses appear to be the strains in which the Israelites expose the impotence of the usurpers.
29. people of Chemosh—the name of the Moabite idol (1Ki 11:7-33; 2Ki 23:13; Jer 48:46).
he—that is, their god, hath surrendered his worshippers to the victorious arms of Sihon.
33. they turned and went up by the way of Bashan—a name given to that district from the richness of the soil—now Batanea or El-Bottein—a hilly region east of the Jordan lying between the mountains of Hermon on the north and those of Gilead on the south.
Og—a giant, an Amoritish prince, who, having opposed the progress of the Israelites, was defeated.
34, 35. The Lord said unto Moses, Fear him not—a necessary encouragement, for Og's gigantic stature (De 3:11) was calculated to inspire terror. He and all his were put to the sword.