_A.M. 2552. B.C. 1452._ The defeat of Arad, Numbers 21:1. The people murmur and are plagued with fiery serpents, Numbers 21:4. They are healed by looking on the brazen serpent, Numbers 21:7. They journey forward, Numbers 21:10. Conquer Sihon, Numbers 21:21. And Og, Numbers 21:33.... [ Continue Reading ]
The armies of Israel now begin to emerge out of the wilderness, and to come into a land inhabited; to enter upon action, and take possession of the frontiers of the land of promise. _King Arad_ Or rather, according to the Hebrew, and all the ancient versions, _The Canaanitish king of Arad;_ for Arad... [ Continue Reading ]
_Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord_ Being unexperienced in war, and sensible of their own weakness, they were afraid of these Canaanites, and therefore thus endeavour to engage God to help them in the war which they intended to renew. _I will utterly destroy their cities_ I will reserve no person or... [ Continue Reading ]
_They utterly destroyed them_ That is, as many of them as they took at that time; but it is plain that all these Canaanites were not destroyed at this time, for we find the king of Arad and the king of Hormah mentioned among the kings whom Joshua smote some time after this, Joshua 12:14; and several... [ Continue Reading ]
_By the way of the Red sea_ The way which led to the Red sea, which they were under a necessity of taking, that they might compass the land of Edom. But as they had gained an advantage over the king of Arad, why did they not pursue their victory, and now enter Canaan? Because God would not permit it... [ Continue Reading ]
_The people spake against God_ Against Christ, their chief conductor, whom they tempted. _Our soul loatheth this light bread_ Thus contemptuously did they speak of manna, whereas it appears it yielded excellent nourishment, because in the strength of it they were able to go so many and such tedious... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fiery serpents_ Hebrew, נחשׁים, _nechashim_, the plural of the word translated _serpent, Genesis 3:1_, where Moses speaks of the temptation and fall of our first parents, and which, when intended of a living creature, we believe, always means a _serpent_ of one species or other, and is accordingly... [ Continue Reading ]
_A fiery serpent_ That is, the figure of a serpent in brass, which is of a fiery colour. This would require some time: God would not speedily take off the judgment, because he saw they were not thoroughly humbled. _Upon a pole_ That the people might see it from all parts of the camp, and therefore t... [ Continue Reading ]
_In Oboth_ Not immediately, but after two other stations, mentioned chap. 33. _The valley of Zared_ Or rather, _by the brook of Zared_, which ran into the Dead sea. _On the other side_ Or rather, _on this side of Arnon_, for so it now was to the Israelites, who had not yet passed over it. _Between M... [ Continue Reading ]
_The book of the wars of the Lord_ This seems to have been some poem or narration of the wars and victories of the Lord, either by, or relating to the Israelites: which may be asserted without any prejudice to the integrity of the holy Scripture, because this book doth not appear to have been writte... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ar_ A chief city in Moab. _Beer_ This place, and Mattanah, Nahaliel, and Bamoth, named here, (Numbers 21:19,) are not mentioned among those places where they pitched or encamped, chap. 33. Probably they did not pitch or encamp in these places, but only pass by or through them. _I will give them wat... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 their staves_ Probably as Moses smote the rock with his rod, so they struck the earth with their stave... [ Continue Reading ]
_Pisgah_ This was the top of those high hills of _Abarim._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sent messengers_ By God's allowance, that so Sihon's malice might be the more evident and inexcusable, and their title to his country more clear in the judgment of all men, as being gotten by a just war, into which they were forced for their own defence. _Let me pass_ They spoke what they seriously... [ Continue Reading ]
_From Arnon_ Or, which reached _from Arnon;_ and so here is a description or limitation of Sihon's conquest and kingdom, that it extended only _from Arnon unto the children of Ammon_ And then the following words, _for the border of the children of Ammon was strong_, come in very fitly, not as a reas... [ Continue Reading ]
_Heshbon was the city of Sihon_ This is added as a reason why Israel took possession of this land, because it was not now the land of the Moabites, but in the possession of the Amorites. _The former king_ The predecessor of Balak, who was the present king. See the wisdom of God's providence, which p... [ Continue Reading ]
_In proverbs_ The poets or other ingenious persons of the Amorites or Canaanites, who made this following song over the vanquished Moabites, which is here brought in as a proof that this was now Sihon's land, and as an evidence of the just judgment of God in spoiling the spoilers, and subduing those... [ Continue Reading ]
_A fire_ The fury of war, which is fitly compared to fire. _Out of Heshbon_ That city which before was a refuge and defence to all the country, now is turned into a great annoyance. _It hath consumed Ar_ This may be understood not of the city Ar, but of the people or the country subject or belongin... [ Continue Reading ]
_People of Chemosh_ The worshippers of Chemosh; so the god of the Moabites was called. _He_ That is, their god, hath delivered up his own people to his and their enemies; nor could he secure even those that had escaped the sword, but suffered them to be carried into captivity. The words of this and... [ Continue Reading ]
Though you, feeble Moabites, and your god too, could not resist Sihon, we Israelites, by the help of our God, _have shot_ With success and victory; _at them_ At Sihon and his Amorites. _Heshbon_ The royal city of Sihon, and by him lately repaired; _is perished_ Is taken away from Sihon, and so is al... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jaazer_ One of the cities of Moab, formerly taken from them by Sihon, and now taken from him by the Israelites.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Og_ Who was also a king of the Amorites. And it may seem that Sihon and Og were the leaders or captains of two great colonies which came out of Canaan, and drove out the former inhabitants of these places. _Bashan_ A rich country, famous for its pastures and breed of cattle, and for its oaks.... [ Continue Reading ]