Numbers 21
Image by Phillip Medhurst
(1) Israel Conquers Arad
Near the Negev [southern Judah], there was a Canaanite city called Arad [which means “wild donkey”]. When Arad’s king heard that Israel was approaching through Athatim [some sort of pass], he attacked Israel, taking some Israelites captive. So Israel made a vow to the Existing One, saying,
“If You hand these people over to us, We will destroy their cities.” [“Destroy” can also read “devote.”]
The Existing One heard Israel’s cry and handed the Canaanites over to them. Israel destroyed [or devoted] their cities, and that place became known as Hormah [which means “devotion”].
(4) Snakes
Then Israel left Mount Hor, passing by the reed sea to bypass Edom [Esau’s descendants who lived south of Palestine]. But Israel was getting impatient, so they spoke poorly about God and Moses, saying,
“Why did you bring us away from Egypt just to die out here in the desert? There’s no food or water here, and we hate this disgusting food.”
So the Existing One sent venomous snakes that bit the Israelites, causing many of them to die. Then the population came to Moses, saying,
“We made a mistake by talking badly about the Existing One and you! Please intervene with the Existing One so He takes away these snakes!”
So Moses intervened for the people, and the Existing One told him,
“Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole. Then whenever someone gets bitten, if they look at it, they will end up living.”
So Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. And it came to pass that whenever someone got bit and looked at the bronze snake, they would survive.
(10) Israel’s Travel Log
Then the Israelites moved out and camped in Oboth [which means “waterskins”]. Then they traveled to Abarim’s ruins, which is in the desert to the east, on the other side of Moab. Then they moved out and set up camp in the Zered river bed [east of the Jordan river]. Then they left to camp on the other side of the Arnon river, which serves as the border between Moab [Lot’s descendants] and the Amorites. That’s why the book of the Existing One’s wars talks about “the town of Waheb in the area of Suphah” and “the ravines of the Arnon river” and how “the ravine extends to the Moabite city of Ar, defining Moab’s border.”
From there, they continued onward to the well named Beer, which is where the Existing One told Moses to assemble the population to give them water. When they Israel passed that place, they sang a song that went like this:
“Come on, everyone—let’s sing to the well.
Let your waters rise and swell!
It’s the well our leaders found,
With their staffs they broke the ground!”
From the desert they moved on to Mattanah [“gift from the Existing One”]. Then they went to Nahaliel [“God’s torrents”]. Then they went to Bamoth [“high place”]. And from there they went to the valley in Moab that’s at the top of Pisgah [“cleft”], which overlooks the desert.
(21) Israel Conquers Amorites
Then Israel sent messengers to the Amorite’s king, Sihon, saying,
“Let us pass through your land. We won’t step foot into your fields or vineyards, and we won’t drink any water from your wells. We’ll just stay on the king’s highway until we’ve passed through your borders.”
But Sihon wouldn’t allow them to pass through. Instead, he gathered all his people and attacked Israel in the desert at Jahaz. So Israel struck back and seized the entire Ammonite region, from the Arnon river to the Jabbok stream, where the city of Jazer was. Israel seized all the Amorite cities in Heshbon [“stronghold”] and their villages. Heshbon was the city where Sihon (the Amorite king) lived. Sihon had fought against the former Moabite king and captured all his territories as far as the Arnon river. That’s why people say,
“Come to Heshbon! Let’s build it up! Let’s help establish king Sihon’s city. Fire came out of Heshbon, Sihon’s town, and it consumed Moab’s city, Ar. Ar used to be the top dog of Arnon’s heights.
“Poor Moab! Chemosh’s people have been ruined! [Chemosh was their god]. Chemosh’s sons became refugees, and his daughters became captives to Sihon (the Amorite king).
“But we showed them! Heshbon is now in ruins as far as Dibon. We even laid waste to Nophah, which reaches all the way to Medeba.”
So Israel lived in the Amorites land. Moses sent scouts to spy on Jazer, and they captured its villages and took everything from the Amorites who were there.
(33) Israel Conquers Bashan
Then Israel turned and went up through Bashan, which is a fertile area east of the Jordan. Bashan’s king was a giant named Og, who brought all his people to attack Israel at the city of Edrei. But the Existing One told Moses,
“Don’t be scared of him, because I’ve handed Og over to you along with all his people and his land. You’ll do to him the same thing you did to Sihon, the Amorite king, who used to live at Heshbon.”
So Israel killed Og, his sons, and all his people, until there was no trace of him left. Then they took over his land.
