Numbers 21:21-35

King Sihon Defeated

21 Then ¹Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22 ²"Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory."

23 ³But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and ⁴came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.

24 ⁵And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the ⁶Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong.

25 And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages.

26 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, as far as the Arnon.

27 Therefore the ⁷ballad singers say, "Come to ⁸Heshbon, let it be built; let the city of Sihon be established.

28 For ⁹fire came out from ¹⁰Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured ¹¹Ar of Moab, and swallowed^[a] the heights of the Arnon.

29 ¹²Woe to you, O Moab! You are undone, O people of ¹³Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and his daughters captives, to an Amorite king, Sihon.

30 So we overthrew them; Heshbon, as far as ¹⁴Dibon, perished; and we laid waste as far as Nophah; fire spread as far as ¹⁵Medeba."^[b]

King Og Defeated

31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.

32 And Moses sent to spy out ¹⁶Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

33 Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle ¹⁷at Edrei.

34 ¹⁸But the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And ¹⁹you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon."

35 So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.

Numbers 21:21-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 21

This chapter gives an account of the defeat of King Arad, the Canaanite, Nu 21:1-3 of the murmurings of the children of Israel, because of difficulties in travelling round, the land of Edom, for which they were punished with fiery serpents, Nu 21:4-6 and how that upon their repentance a brazen serpent was ordered to be made, and to be erected on a pole, that whoever looked to it might live, Nu 21:7-9 and of the several journeys and stations of the children of Israel, until they came to the land of the Amorites, Nu 21:10-20, when they sent a message to Sihon their king, to desire him to grant them a passage through his country; but he refusing, they fought with him, smote him, and possessed his land, concerning which many proverbial sayings were used, Nu 21:21-32 and the chapter is concluded with the defeat of Og, king of Bashan, Nu 21:33-35.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 2:26, 27; Judges 11:19
• 2. [Numbers 20:17]
• 3. Deuteronomy 29:7
• 4. Deuteronomy 2:32; Judges 11:20
• 5. Deuteronomy 2:33; Joshua 12:1, 2; Joshua 24:8; Nehemiah 9:22; Psalms 135:11; Psalms 136:19, 20; Amos 2:9
• 6. See Genesis 32:22
• 7. See Numbers 23:7
• 8. See Numbers 32:37
• 9. Jeremiah 48:45, 46
• 10. [See ver. 27 above]
• 11. [See ver. 15 above]
• 12. [See ver. 28 above]
• 13. Judges 11:24; 1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13; Jeremiah 48:7
• 14. Numbers 32:3; Joshua 13:17; Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 48:18; [Numbers 33:45, 46]
• 15. 1 Chronicles 19:7; Isaiah 15:2
• 16. Numbers 32:1; Joshua 13:25; 2 Samuel 24:5; Jeremiah 48:32
• 17. Deuteronomy 1:4; Deuteronomy 3:1; Josh. 1Deuteronomy 3:12
• 18. Deuteronomy 3:2
• 19. See ver. 24

Footnotes

• [a]. Septuagint; Hebrew the lords of
• [b]. Compare Samaritan and Septuagint; Hebrew and we laid waste as far as Nophah, which is as far as Medeba