CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Numbers 21
Chapter 21 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in Numbers 21
Israel fights the Canaanite king of Arad, complains again, and is punished with poisonous snakes. God tells Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who looks at it will live. Israel then travels around Edom, sings a song about a well, and defeats two powerful kings east of the Jordan: Sihon and Og.
Scripture
Numbers 21
Victory over the King of Arad
Study note
The Canaanite king of Arad attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. Israel made a vow to the Lord that if he gave them victory, they would completely destroy the Canaanite cities. God granted their request, and they destroyed the cities. They named the place Hormah, meaning 'destruction.'
1 The Canaanite king of Arad, whose territory was in the southern region, got word that Israel was approaching on the road to Atharim. He launched an attack and captured some Israelites. And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.
2 Israel made a serious promise to the Lord. "If you give us victory over these people, we will destroy their cities. We give them fully to you." 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.
3 The Lord answered their prayer and handed the Canaanites over to them. Israel completely destroyed both the people and their cities. They named the place Hormah, which means 'destruction.' And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
The Bronze Serpent
Study note
As they traveled around Edom, the people grew impatient and spoke against God and Moses, complaining about the manna. God sent poisonous snakes that bit the people, and many died. When the people confessed their sin, God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who was bitten could look at the bronze snake and live. This event was later referenced by Jesus in John 3:14-15.
4 They left Mount Hor and headed toward the Red Sea, taking a route around the land of Edom. Along the way, the people lost their patience. And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 They spoke out against both God and Moses, saying, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? There is no real food and no water, and we are sick of this terrible manna!" And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 So the Lord sent venomous snakes among them. The snakes bit the people, and many Israelites died. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 The people came to Moses and confessed, "We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Please pray to the Lord and ask him to take these snakes away." Moses prayed for the people. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 The Lord told Moses, "Make a replica of a snake and mount it on a pole. Whenever someone gets bitten, they need to look at it and they will survive." And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 So Moses crafted a snake out of bronze and mounted it on a pole. After that, whenever someone was bitten by a snake and looked up at the bronze snake, they lived. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Israel's Journey and the Song of the Well
Study note
Israel continued traveling through the wilderness, stopping at various places. At a place called Beer, meaning 'well,' the Lord provided water and the people sang a joyful song about it. They moved through several stopping points before reaching the region near the Amorite territory east of the Jordan.
10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth. And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.
11 Leaving Oboth, they camped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness east of Moab, facing the sunrise. And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ije-abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.
12 From there they traveled to the Zered Valley and camped. From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
13 They moved on and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, which flows through the wilderness along the edge of Amorite land. The Arnon marks the boundary between Moab and the Amorites. From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 Therefore the Book of the Wars of the Lord mentions: "Waheb in Suphah and the ravines, the Arnon River," Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
15 "and the slopes of the ravines stretching toward the settlement of Ar along the border of Moab." And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16 From there they traveled to Beer, which means 'well.' This is the well where the Lord told Moses, "Gather the people, and I will give them water." And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17 That is when Israel sang this song: "Spring up, well! Sing about it!" Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
18 "The princes dug this well. The leaders of the people sank it with their scepters and staffs." Leaving the wilderness, they continued to Mattanah, The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:
19 then from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:
20 and from Bamoth into the valley in Moab, where the peak of Pisgah looks out over the wasteland below. And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
Victory over King Sihon
Study note
Israel asked Sihon, king of the Amorites, for permission to pass through his land, promising to stay on the main road. But Sihon refused and attacked Israel with his whole army at Jahaz. Israel defeated him and took control of all his territory from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, including his capital city Heshbon.
21 Israel sent messengers to Sihon, the Amorite king, with this request: And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22 "Let us pass through your land. We will not stray into any fields or vineyards. We will not drink water from your wells. We will stay on the king's highway until we are past your territory." Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.
23 But Sihon would not allow it. Instead, he gathered his entire army and marched into the wilderness to attack Israel. At Jahaz, he engaged them in battle. And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24 Israel defeated him completely. They seized his territory from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. They stopped at the Ammonite border, which was heavily guarded. And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25 Israel took over all the Amorite towns and moved into them. This included Heshbon and all the villages around it. And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
26 Heshbon had been the capital of Sihon, the Amorite king. He had previously fought against the king of Moab and seized all his land up to the Arnon River. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
27 Therefore the old poets used to say: "Come to Heshbon! Let it be rebuilt! Let Sihon's city be restored!" Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
28 "Fire blazed out from Heshbon, flames from Sihon's city. It consumed Ar of Moab and swallowed the heights along the Arnon." For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.
29 "What a disaster for you, Moab! You are finished, people of Chemosh! Your god turned his sons into refugees and his daughters into captives of Sihon the Amorite king." Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 "But we have conquered them. Heshbon lies in ruins all the way to Dibon. We devastated the land as far as Nophah, stretching to Medeba." We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
Victory over King Og
Study note
Israel then turned north toward Bashan. King Og came out to fight them at Edrei. God told Moses not to be afraid because he had already given Og into their hands. They defeated him completely, and no survivors were left. Israel took possession of his land as well.
31 So Israel settled all through the Amorite land. Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32 Moses sent scouts to Jazer. Then Israel captured the nearby villages and drove out the Amorites living there. And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33 Next they headed north along the road toward Bashan. King Og of Bashan mobilized his entire army and came out to fight them at Edrei. And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.
34 The Lord told Moses, "Do not be scared of him. I am handing him over to you -- him, his whole army, and his entire land. Do to him exactly what you did to Sihon the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon." And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
35 So they defeated Og along with his sons and his whole army, leaving no survivors. Israel then took possession of his land. So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
Key Themes
Themes in Numbers 21
Deliverance through faith and obedienceConsequences of complaining against GodGod provides healing from judgmentMilitary victories through God's power
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Numbers 21:8-9 John 3:14-15
Jesus directly compares the bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness to himself being lifted up on the cross, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Apply This Today
Living Numbers 21
The bronze serpent is one of the most powerful images in the Old Testament. Just as the Israelites had to look up at the serpent to be healed, we must look to the One who was lifted up for our salvation. Complaining reveals a heart that has forgotten God's faithfulness.
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