Numbers 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.

King Arad the Canaanite, х ha-Kªna`ªniy (H3669) melek (H4428) `Araad (H6166)] - the Canaanite king of Arad; an ancient town situated 'in the south' (ha-negeb, i:e., the south country) of Palestine (cf. Numbers 33:40; Judges 1:16). The site of it is indicated by the bare hill, Tell 'Arad, on which Van de Velde found some fragments of very ancient pottery, and a dilapidated well ('Syria and Palestine.' vol. 2:, p. 84). Eusebius and Jerome place the town about 20 Roman miles from Hebron (Robinson, 'Biblical Researches,' vol. 2:, p. 473).

Heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies - х derek (H1870) haa-'Ataariym (H871); Septuagint, hodon Atharein] Gesenius, who defines the import of the word to be 'places, regions,' translates it as the name of some locality in the south of Palestine. The Septuagint and others consider the Hebrew word "spies" as a proper name, and render it. 'came by the way of Atharim toward Arad' (Kennicott).

Took some of them prisoners. This discomfiture was permitted to teach them to expect the conquest of Canaan, not from their own wisdom and valour, but solely from the favour and help of God (Deuteronomy 9:4; Psalms 44:3).