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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Numbers 21:17,18

This song, recognized by all authorities as dating from the earliest times, and suggested apparently by the fact that God in this place gave the people water not from the rock, but by commanding Moses to cause a well to be dug, bespeaks the glad zeal, the joyful faith, and the hearty cooperation among all ranks, which possessed the people. In after time it may well have been the water-drawing song of the maidens of Israel.

Numbers 21:18

By the direction of the lawgiver - Some render, with the lawgiver’s scepter; i. e. under the direction and with the authority of Moses; compare Genesis 49:10, and note.

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See also Numbers 21:17,18 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Numbers 21:17. _SPRING UP, O WELL, C._] This is one of the most ancient war songs in the world, but is not easily understood, which is commonly the case with all very ancient compositions, espe...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 21 Murmuring and Conquest _ 1. Opposition of King Arad (Numbers 21:1)_ 2. Murmuring and the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:4) 3. The serpent of brass (Numbers 21:8) 4. Journeying and singing

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    AN ITINERARY. This continues Numbers 21:4 (and they journeyed from Mount Hor), but the immediate place of departure in Numbers 21:10 is omitted. In Numbers 33:42 f. two stations are inserted between H...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THIS SONG. See note on Exodus 15:1....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Numbers 21:12. J E The Israelites arrived at a spot on the S.E. border of Moab, and then, having travelled northwards along its eastern boundary, penetrated westward till they reached the cliffs whic...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    G. BYPASSING MOAB vv. 10-20 TEXT Numbers 21:10. And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth. 11. And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ije-abarim, in the wilderness which is b...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THEN ISRAEL SANG THIS SONG, SPRING UP, O WELL; SING YE UNTO IT:_ Then Israel sang. This beautiful little song was in accordance with the wants and feelings of traveling caravans in the East, where w...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    21:17 sing (k-9) Or 'answer,' 'respond,' as Hosea 2:25 ....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BRAZEN SERPENT. CONQUEST OF BASHAN 1-3. The southern Canaanites repulse the Israelites, but are eventually destroyed....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 21 THE *ISRAELITES DEFEAT THE *CANAANITES – NUMBERS 21:1-3 V1 The king of Arad lived in the southern part of t

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אָ֚ז יָשִׁ֣יר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת ־הַ שִּׁירָ֖ה ה

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE LAST MARCH AND THE FIRST CAMPAIGN Numbers 21:1 IT has been suggested in a previous chapter that the repulse of the Israelites by the King of Arad took place on the occasion when, after the return...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE BRAZEN SERPENT; JOURNEYING TO PISGAH Numbers 21:1 It often falls to our lot to compass the land of Edom! It is bad enough to have to fight the desert tribes, but it is harder to traverse the lon...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The movement forward of the people now brought them into the path of conflict. The way was rough and difficult and the people were discouraged. Again they felt a lusting after Egypt and spoke against...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; (f) sing ye unto it: (f) You that receive the convenience of it, give praise for it....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _They sung. Hebrew, "sing ye unto it," in chorus, men and women. Septuagint, "commence a canticle unto it. This well the princes dug, the kings of nations hewed in the rock, in their kingdom, while th...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Oh! how sweet are songs of praise to the highest! I hope the Reader will not need that I should point out to him in this place, the evident traces we have in it of GOD the HOLY GHOST. It is well known...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The previous portion of the Book of Numbers, viewed as a history, has evidently a prefatory character, however important and divinely wise. It is in a great measure preparatory for that which we have...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The question is not here to conduct the people with patience through the wilderness, where the flesh manifested itself; but there are enemies and difficulties to be met; for there are difficulties dis...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN ISRAEL SANG THIS SONG,.... Being affected with the free favour and good will of God towards them: SPRING UP, O WELL; for the springing up of which they prayed in faith, believing in the promise...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: Ver. 17. _Then Israel sang this soug._] A sign of that Christian joy. Isa 12:3-4...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Spring up_ Hebrew, _ascend;_ that is, let thy waters, which now lie hid below in the earth, ascend for our use. It is either a prediction that it should spring up, or a prayer that it might. _With th...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Israel with some losse destroy the Canaanites at Hormah. 4 The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents. 7 They repenting are healed by a brasen serpent. 10 Sundry iourneyes of the Israel...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    FROM OBOTH TO JESHIMON...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

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

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ATTACK AND DEFEAT OF CANAANITES (vs.1-3) The king of Arad, a Canaanite, heard that Israel was in the same vicinity from which they had sent the spies into the south of Canaan. He therefore took the i...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    SPRING UP: _ Heb._ ascend SING: Or, answer...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    10-20 We have here the removes of the children of Israel, till they came to the plains of Moab, from whence they passed over Jordan into Canaan. The end of their pilgrimage was near. "They set forwar...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    ISRAEL SANG THIS SONG, to praise God for giving them such a seasonable blessing, before they asked it, or complained for the want of it. SPRING UP; give forth thy waters that we may drink. Heb. _Ascen...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    This chapter brings prominently before us the familiar and beautiful ordinance of the brazen Serpent that great evangelical type. "And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compa...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 21:17 Israel H3478 sang H7891 (H8799) song H7892 up H5927 (H8798) well H875 sing H6030 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    6). JOURNEY FROM OBOTH TO THE PISGAH LOOKING TOWARDS JESHIMON (NUMBERS 21:11). From this point on there is no shortage of water, as they move via the Wadi Zered to the River Arnon. And the abundance o...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    THEN ISRAEL The spiritual order here is beautiful: (1) atonement (Numbers 21:8); (Numbers 21:9); (John 3:14); (John 3:15). (2) wat

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Victories of Israel; the serpent of brass. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron, Arad, Sihon, Og. CONCLUSION: Those who cry without cause will be given just cause to cry and they will be compelle...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 21:1. _King Arad;_ that is, Arad king of Arad. _The way of the spies,_ is understood to be the route of the twelve spies sent from Kadesh-Barnea. But the LXX not understanding it so, render it...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Spring up, O well._ A SONG OF THE PILGRIMAGE I. The needs of human pilgrimage. 1. How indispensable are the things which we need. 2. How many are the things which we need. 3. How constant are ou...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:10 These verses summarize Israel’s passage through the Transjordan, east of the Dead Sea, around the territory of Moab and through the land of the Amorites. Many of the plac...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:16 These verses celebrate finding an abundant WELL. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES Numbers 21:1. _King Arad the Canaanite_. Rather, “the Canaanite King of Arad.” Arad was a royal city of the Canaanites (Joshua 12:14), and was situated on a hill called...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE END OF JOURNEYS, THE BEGINNING OF VICTORIES (Numbers 21:10 Numbers 22:1)....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn in our Bibles to Numbers chapter twenty-one. Now the children of Israel have been in the wilderness for about thirty-nine years and they are now beginning to make their move towards the Pro...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Exodus 15:1; Exodus 15:2; Isaiah 12:1; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 12:5;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Spring up — Heb. ascend, that is, let thy waters, which now lie hid below in the earth, ascend for our use. It is either a prediction that it should spring up, or a prayer that it might....

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