Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Numbers » Chapter 21 » Verse 4

Numbers 21:4 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

4 And they journeyed H5265 from mount H2022 Hor H2023 by the way H1870 of the Red H5488 sea, H3220 to compass H5437 the land H776 of Edom: H123 and the soul H5315 of the people H5971 was much discouraged H7114 because of the way. H1870

Cross Reference

Exodus 6:9 STRONG

And Moses H4872 spake H1696 so unto the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 but they hearkened H8085 not unto Moses H4872 for anguish H7115 of spirit, H7307 and for cruel H7186 bondage. H5656

Judges 11:18 STRONG

Then they went along H3212 through the wilderness, H4057 and compassed H5437 the land H776 of Edom, H123 and the land H776 of Moab, H4124 and came H935 by the east side H4217 H8121 of the land H776 of Moab, H4124 and pitched H2583 on the other side H5676 of Arnon, H769 but came H935 not within the border H1366 of Moab: H4124 for Arnon H769 was the border H1366 of Moab. H4124

Numbers 33:41 STRONG

And they departed H5265 from mount H2022 Hor, H2023 and pitched H2583 in Zalmonah. H6758

Numbers 14:25 STRONG

(Now the Amalekites H6003 and the Canaanites H3669 dwelt H3427 in the valley.) H6010 To morrow H4279 turn H6437 you, and get H5265 you into the wilderness H4057 by the way H1870 of the Red H5488 sea. H3220

Numbers 20:18-23 STRONG

And Edom H123 said H559 unto him, Thou shalt not pass H5674 by me, lest I come out H3318 against H7125 thee with the sword. H2719 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 said H559 unto him, We will go H5927 by the high way: H4546 and if I and my cattle H4735 drink H8354 of thy water, H4325 then I will pay H5414 H4377 for it: I will only, without doing any thing H1697 else, go through H5674 on my feet. H7272 And he said, H559 Thou shalt not go through. H5674 And Edom H123 came out H3318 against H7125 him with much H3515 people, H5971 and with a strong H2389 hand. H3027 Thus Edom H123 refused H3985 to give H5414 Israel H3478 passage H5674 through his border: H1366 wherefore Israel H3478 turned away H5186 from him. And the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 even the whole congregation, H5712 journeyed H5265 from Kadesh, H6946 and came H935 unto mount H2022 Hor. H2023 And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 in mount H2022 Hor, H2023 by the coast H1366 of the land H776 of Edom, H123 saying, H559

Numbers 20:27 STRONG

And Moses H4872 did H6213 as the LORD H3068 commanded: H6680 and they went up H5927 into mount H2022 Hor H2023 in the sight H5869 of all the congregation. H5712

Numbers 32:7 STRONG

And wherefore discourage ye H5106 H5106 the heart H3820 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 from going over H5674 into the land H776 which the LORD H3068 hath given H5414 them?

Numbers 32:9 STRONG

For when they went up H5927 unto the valley H5158 of Eshcol, H812 and saw H7200 the land, H776 they discouraged H5106 the heart H3820 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that they should not go H935 into the land H776 which the LORD H3068 had given H5414 them.

Deuteronomy 1:40 STRONG

But as for you, turn H6437 you, and take your journey H5265 into the wilderness H4057 by the way H1870 of the Red H5488 sea. H3220

Deuteronomy 2:5-8 STRONG

Meddle H1624 not with them; for I will not give H5414 you of their land, H776 no, not so much as a foot H7272 breadth; H4096 H3709 because I have given H5414 mount H2022 Seir H8165 unto Esau H6215 for a possession. H3425 Ye shall buy H7666 meat H400 of them for money, H3701 that ye may eat; H398 and ye shall also buy H3739 water H4325 of them for money, H3701 that ye may drink. H8354 For the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath blessed H1288 thee in all the works H4639 of thy hand: H3027 he knoweth H3045 thy walking H3212 through this great H1419 wilderness: H4057 these forty H705 years H8141 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath been with thee; thou hast lacked H2637 nothing. H1697 And when we passed H5674 by from our brethren H251 the children H1121 of Esau, H6215 which dwelt H3427 in Seir, H8165 through the way H1870 of the plain H6160 from Elath, H359 and from Eziongaber, H6100 we turned H6437 and passed H5674 by the way H1870 of the wilderness H4057 of Moab. H4124

Acts 14:22 STRONG

Confirming G1991 the souls G5590 of the disciples, G3101 and exhorting them G3870 to continue G1696 in the faith, G4102 and G2532 that G3754 we G2248 must G1163 through G1223 much G4183 tribulation G2347 enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316

1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 STRONG

That no man G3367 should be moved G4525 by G1722 these G5025 afflictions: G2347 for G1063 yourselves G846 know G1492 that G3754 we are appointed G2749 thereunto. G1519 G5124 For G1063 verily, G2532 when G3753 we were G2258 with G4314 you, G5209 we told G4302 you G5213 before G4302 that G3754 we should G3195 suffer tribulation; G2346 even G2532 as G2531 it came to pass, G1096 and G2532 ye know. G1492

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.