Numbers 21 (NET)

Victory at Hormah1

1 When the Canaanite king of Arad2 who lived in the Negev3 heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.

2 So Israel made a vow4 to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed deliver5 this people into our6 hand, then we will utterly destroy7 their cities.” 3 The Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites,8 and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of the place was called9 Hormah.

Fiery Serpents

4 Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea,10 to go around the land of Edom, but the people11 became impatient along the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we12 detest this worthless13 food.”

6 So the Lord sent poisonous14 snakes15 among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he would take away16 the snakes from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks17 at it, he will live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole, so that if a snake had bitten someone, when he looked at the bronze snake he lived.18

The Approach to Moab19

10 The Israelites traveled on and camped in Oboth. 11 Then they traveled on from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim,20 in the wilderness that is before Moab, on the eastern side.21 12 From there they moved on and camped in the valley of Zered. 13 From there they moved on and camped on the other side of the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from the regions22 of the Amorites, for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 This is why it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,

“Waheb in Suphah23 and the wadis,

the Arnon 15 and the slope of the valleys24

that extends to the dwelling of Ar,25

and falls off at the border of Moab.”

16 And from there they traveled26 to Beer;27 that is the well where the Lord spoke to Moses, “Gather the people and I will give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang28 this song:

“Spring up, O well, sing to it!

18 The well which the princes29 dug,

which the leaders of the people opened

with their scepters and their staffs.”

And from the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah; 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, near the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the wilderness.30

The Victory over Sihon and Og31

21 Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, saying,32

22 “Let us33 pass through your land;34 we will not turn aside into the fields or into the vineyards, nor will we drink water from any well, but we will go along the King’s Highway until we pass your borders.” 23 But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border; he35 gathered all his forces36 together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. When37 he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. 24 But the Israelites38 defeated him in battle39 and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strongly defended. 25 So Israel took all these cities; and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.40 26 For Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites. Now he had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all of his land from his control,41 as far as the Arnon. 27 That is why those who speak in proverbs42 say,

“Come to Heshbon, let it be built.

Let the city of Sihon be established!43

28 For fire went out from Heshbon,

a flame from the city of Sihon.

It has consumed Ar of Moab

and the lords44 of the high places of Arnon.

29 Woe to you, Moab.

You are ruined, O people of Chemosh!45

He has made his sons fugitives,

and his daughters the prisoners of King Sihon of the Amorites.

30 We have overpowered them;46

Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.

We have shattered them as far as Nophah,

which47 reaches to Medeba.”

31 So the Israelites48 lived in the land of the Amorites. 32 Moses sent spies to reconnoiter49 Jaazer, and they captured its villages50 and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

33 Then they turned and went up by the road to Bashan. And King Og of Bashan and all his forces51 marched out against them to do battle at Edrei. 34 And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. 35 So they defeated Og,52 his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors,53 and they possessed his land.

1sn This chapter has several events in it: the victory over Arad (vv. 1-3), the plague of serpents (vv. 4-9), the approach to Moab (vv. 10-20), and the victory over Sihon and Og (vv. 21-35). For information, see D. M. Gunn, “The ‘Battle Report’: Oral or Scribal Convention.” JBL 93 (1974): 513-18; and of the extensive literature on the archaeological site, see EAEHL 1:74-89. 2sn The name Arad probably refers to a place a number of miles away from Tel Arad in southern Israel. The name could also refer to the whole region (like Edom). 3tn Or “the south”; “Negev” has become a technical name for the southern desert region and is still in use in modern times. 4tn The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative with the verb: They vowed a vow. The Israelites were therefore determined with God’s help to defeat Arad. 5tn The Hebrew text has the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense of נָתַן (natan) to stress the point – if you will surely/indeed give.” 6tn Heb “my.” 7tn On the surface this does not sound like much of a vow. But the key is in the use of the verb for “utterly destroy” – חָרַם (kharam). Whatever was put to this “ban” or “devotion” belonged to God, either for his use, or for destruction. The oath was in fact saying that they would take nothing from this for themselves. It would simply be the removal of what was alien to the faith, or to God’s program. 8tc Smr, Greek, and Syriac add “into his hand.” 9tn In the Hebrew text the verb has no expressed subject, and so here too is made passive. The name “Hormah” is etymologically connected to the verb “utterly destroy,” forming the popular etymology (or paronomasia, a phonetic wordplay capturing the significance of the event). 10tn The “Red Sea” is the general designation for the bodies of water on either side of the Sinai peninsula, even though they are technically gulfs from the Red Sea. 11tn Heb “the soul of the people,” expressing the innermost being of the people as they became frustrated. 12tn Heb “our souls.” 13tn The Israelites’ opinion about the manna was clear enough – “worthless.” The word used is קְלֹקֵל (qÿloqel, “good for nothing, worthless, miserable”). 14tn Heb “fiery.” 15tn The designation of the serpents/ snakes is נְחָשִׁים (nÿkhashim), which is similar to the word for “bronze” (נְחֹשֶׁת, nÿkhoshet). This has led some scholars to describe the serpents as bronze in color. The description of them as fiery indicates they were poisonous. Perhaps the snake in question is a species of adder. 16tn The verb is the Hiphil jussive with a vav (ו) consecutive from the verb סוּר (sur); after the imperative this form may be subordinated to become a purpose clause. 17tn The word order is slightly different in Hebrew: “and it shall be anyone who is bitten when he looks at it he shall live.” 18sn The image of the snake was to be a symbol of the curse that the Israelites were experiencing; by lifting the snake up on a pole Moses was indicating that the curse would be drawn away from the people – if they looked to it, which was a sign of faith. This symbol was later stored in the temple, until it became an object of worship and had to be removed (2 Kgs 18:4). Jesus, of course, alluded to it and used it as an illustration of his own mission. He would become the curse, and be lifted up, so that people who looked by faith to him would live (John 3:14). For further material, see D. J. Wiseman, “Flying Serpents,” TynBul 23 (1972): 108-10; and K. R. Joines, “The Bronze Serpent in the Israelite Cult,” JBL 87 (1968): 245-56. 19sn See further D. L. Christensen, “Numbers 21:14-15 and the Book of the Wars of Yahweh,” CBQ 36 (1974): 359-60; G. W. Coats, “The Wilderness Itinerary,” CBQ 34 (1972): 135-52; G. I. Davies, “The Wilderness Itinerary,” TB 25 (1974): 46-81; idem, The Way of the Wilderness; G. E. Mendenhall, “The Hebrew Conquest of Palestine,” BA 25 (1962): 66-87. 20sn These places are uncertain. Oboth may be some 15 miles (25 km) from the south end of the Dead Sea at a place called ‘Ain el-Weiba. Iye Abarim may be the modern Mahay at the southeastern corner of Moab. See J. Simons, The Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament. 21tn Heb “the rising of the sun.” 22tn Or “border.” 23tc The ancient versions show a wide variation here: Smr has “Waheb on the Sea of Reeds,” the Greek version has “he has set Zoob on fire and the torrents of Arnon.” Several modern versions treat the first line literally, taking the two main words as place names: Waheb and Suphah. This seems most likely, but then there would then be no subject or verb. One would need something like “the Israelites marched through.” The KJV, following the Vulgate, made the first word a verb and read the second as “Red Sea” – “what he did in the Red Sea.” But subject of the passage is the terrain. D. L. Christensen proposed emending the first part from אֶת וָהֵב (’et vahev) to אַתָּה יְהוָה (’attah yehvah, “the Lord came”). But this is subjective. See his article “Num 21:14-15 and the Book of the Wars of Yahweh,” CBQ 36 (1974): 359-60. 24tc There are many variations in this text, but the MT reading of something like “the descent of the torrents/valleys” is preferable, since it is describing the topography. 25sn The place is unknown; it is apparently an important city in the region. 26tn The words “they traveled” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied here because of English style. The same phrase is supplied at the end of v. 18. 27sn Isa 15:8 mentions a Moabite Beerelim, which Simons suggests is Wadi Ettemed. 28tn After the adverb “then” the prefixed conjugation has the preterite force. For the archaic constructions, see D. N. Freedman, “Archaic Forms in Early Hebrew Poetry,” ZAW 72 (1960): 101-7. The poem shows all the marks of being ancient. 29sn The brief song is supposed to be an old workers’ song, and so the mention of leaders and princes is unusual. Some think they are given credit because they directed where the workers were to dig. The scepter and staff might have served some symbolic or divining custom. 30tn Or perhaps as a place name, “Jeshimon.” 31sn For this section, see further J. R. Bartlett, “Sihon and Og of the Amorites,” VT 20 (1970): 257-77, and “The Moabites and the Edomites,” Peoples of Old Testament Times, 229-58; S. H. Horn, “The Excavations at Tell Hesban, 1973,” ADAJ 18 (1973): 87-88. 32tc Smr and the LXX have “words of peace.” 33tn The Hebrew text uses the singular in these verses to match the reference to “Israel.” 34tc Smr has “by the King’s way I will go. I will not turn aside to the right or the left.” 35tn Heb “Sihon.” 36tn Heb “people.” 37tn The clause begins with a preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, but may be subordinated to the next preterite as a temporal clause. 38tn The Hebrew text has “Israel,” but the verb is plural. 39tn Heb “with the edge of the sword.” 40tn Heb “its daughters.” 41sn There is a justice, always, in the divine plan for the conquest of the land. Modern students of the Bible often think that the conquest passages are crude and unjust. But an understanding of the ancient Near East is critical here. This Sihon was not a part of the original population of the land. He himself invaded the territory and destroyed the population of Moab that was indigenous there and established his own kingdom. The ancient history is filled with such events; it is the way of life they chose – conquer or be conquered. For Israel to defeat them was in part a turning of their own devices back on their heads – “those that live by the sword will die by the sword.” Sihon knew this, and he did not wait, but took the war to Israel. Israel wanted to pass through, not fight. But now they would either fight or be pushed into the gorge. So God used Israel to defeat Sihon, who had no claim to the land, as part of divine judgment. 42sn Proverbs of antiquity could include pithy sayings or longer songs, riddles, or poems composed to catch the significance or the irony of an event. This is a brief poem to remember the event, like an Egyptian victory song. It may have originated as an Amorite war taunt song; it was sung to commemorate this victory. It was cited later by Jeremiah (48:45-46). The composer invites his victorious people to rebuild the conquered city as a new capital for Sihon. He then turns to address the other cities which his God(s) has/have given to him. See P. D. Hanson, “The Song of Heshbon and David’s Nir,” HTR 61 (1968): 301. 43tn Meaning, “rebuilt and restored.” 44tc Some scholars emend to בָּלְעָה (bal’ah), reading “and devoured,” instead of בַּעֲלֵי (ba’aley, “its lords”); cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV. This emendation is closer to the Greek and makes a better parallelism, but the MT makes good sense as it stands. 45sn The note of holy war emerges here as the victory is a victory over the local gods as well as over the people. 46tc The first verb is difficult. MT has “we shot at them.” The Greek has “their posterity perished” (see GKC 218 §76.f). 47tc The relative pronoun “which” (אֲשֶׁר, ’asher) posed a problem for the ancient scribes here, as indicated by the so-called extraordinary point (punta extraordinaria) over the letter ר (resh) of אֲשֶׁר. Smr and the LXX have “fire” (אֵשׁ, ’esh) here (cf. NAB, NJB, RSV, NRSV). Some modern scholars emend the word to שֹׁאָה (sho’ah, “devastation”). 48tn Heb “Israel.” 49tn Heb “Moses sent to spy out.” 50tn Heb “daughters.” 51tn Heb “people.” 52tn Heb “him”; the referent (Og) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 53tn Heb “no remnant.”