Numbers 21

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 21

1¶ 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.

2And 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.

3And 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.

4¶ 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.

5And 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.

6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7Therefore 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.

8And 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.

9And 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.

10¶ And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth.

11And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which [is] before Moab, toward the sunrising.

12From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.

13From 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.

14Wherefore 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,

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

16And 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.

17Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:

18The 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:

19And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:

20And from Bamoth [in] the valley, that [is] in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.

21¶ And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22Let 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.

23And 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.

24And 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.

25And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.

26For 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.

27Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:

28For 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.

29Woe 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.

30We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which [reacheth] unto Medeba.

31Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

32And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that [were] there.

33And 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.

34And 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.

35So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Numbers chapter 21 recounts Israel's initial victory over King Arad of the Canaanites, fulfilling a vow to utterly destroy them at a place called Hormah. Following this, the people grew discouraged during their journey around Edom, murmuring against God and Moses, which led to the LORD sending fiery serpents among them. Many died, but upon repentance, God commanded Moses to make a brazen serpent; those who looked upon it lived. The chapter then details Israel's continued journey, culminating in their decisive victories over Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, securing their lands east of the Jordan River.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with Israel's encounter with King Arad, who fought against them and took prisoners. Israel vowed to the LORD to utterly destroy these Canaanites if delivered, a vow the LORD honored, leading to the naming of the place Hormah. As Israel journeyed from Mount Hor to bypass Edom, the people became greatly discouraged by the difficult way, speaking against God and Moses for bringing them out of Egypt. In response to their rebellion, the LORD sent fiery serpents, which bit and killed many Israelites. When the people confessed their sin and sought Moses' intercession, the LORD instructed Moses to make a brazen serpent and set it on a pole, so that anyone bitten who looked upon it would live. After this divine intervention, Israel continued their journey through various encampments. They then sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, requesting passage through his land, but Sihon refused and attacked them. Israel defeated Sihon, taking possession of his land from Arnon to Jabbok. Subsequently, they also conquered Og, king of Bashan, seizing his territory as well, thus establishing their presence east of the Jordan.

Long Summary

Numbers chapter 21 opens with Israel's conflict against King Arad the Canaanite, who attacked them and took some prisoners. In response, Israel made a solemn vow to the LORD, pledging to utterly destroy the Canaanites and their cities if God would deliver them. The LORD heard their prayer and granted them victory, leading to the complete destruction of the Canaanites and their cities, and the place was named Hormah. Following this triumph, Israel journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, a route that caused the people to become severely discouraged. Their frustration led them to speak against God and Moses, questioning why they had been brought out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, complaining about the lack of bread and water, and expressing loathing for the manna. As a consequence of their murmuring, the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, which bit many, causing a great number of deaths in Israel. The people, realizing their sin, came to Moses, confessing their transgression and pleading for him to intercede with the LORD to remove the serpents. Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD instructed him to make a fiery serpent of brass and set it upon a pole, promising that anyone who was bitten and looked upon it would live. Moses obeyed, and indeed, all who beheld the brazen serpent were healed. After this period of judgment and divine healing, the children of Israel continued their journey, setting forward through various encampments including Oboth, Ijeabarim, the valley of Zared, and across the Arnon. They reached Beer, where the LORD promised to give them water, prompting Israel to sing a song celebrating the well dug by their princes. Their journey continued through Mattanah, Nahaliel, and Bamoth, reaching the top of Pisgah. From there, Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, requesting peaceful passage through his land along the king's highway, promising not to deviate or consume their resources. However, Sihon refused passage, gathered his forces, and went out to battle against Israel at Jahaz. Israel decisively defeated Sihon with the sword, taking possession of all his land from Arnon to Jabbok, including Heshbon and its villages. The chapter concludes with Israel's further conquest of Og, king of Bashan, who also came out to fight them at Edrei. The LORD assured Moses not to fear Og, promising to deliver him and his people into Israel's hand. Israel smote Og and all his people, leaving none alive, and possessed his land, thus securing significant territory east of the Jordan.

Core Concepts

  • Vow of HormahIsrael made a vow to the LORD to utterly destroy the Canaanites of Arad if delivered into their hand. Upon their victory, the place was named Hormah, signifying utter destruction.
  • Divine Judgment for MurmuringDue to the people's discouragement and complaints against God and Moses, the LORD sent fiery serpents among them, causing many deaths as a divine judgment for their rebellion.
  • Brazen SerpentAs a means of healing, God commanded Moses to fashion a serpent of brass and place it on a pole. Those who had been bitten by the fiery serpents and looked upon this brazen serpent were miraculously healed and lived.
  • Conquest of SihonIsrael sought peaceful passage through the Amorite land, but King Sihon refused and attacked them. Israel defeated Sihon in battle, taking possession of his territory, including Heshbon.
  • Conquest of OgFollowing their victory over Sihon, Israel also confronted and defeated Og, king of Bashan. This conquest further expanded Israel's territory east of the Jordan River.
  • Israel's Journey and DiscouragementThe chapter details a significant portion of Israel's journey, including their circuitous route around Edom, during which the people became disheartened by the difficult conditions and complained against God and Moses.