Numbers 21 - Introduction
_THE ISRAELITES DESTROY THE CITY OF THE AMORITES: THEY MURMUR: ARE PLAGUED WITH FIERY SERPENTS: AND ARE HEALED BY A BRAZEN SERPENT: THE KINGS, SIHON AND OG, ARE OVERCOME._ _Before Christ 1452._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE ISRAELITES DESTROY THE CITY OF THE AMORITES: THEY MURMUR: ARE PLAGUED WITH FIERY SERPENTS: AND ARE HEALED BY A BRAZEN SERPENT: THE KINGS, SIHON AND OG, ARE OVERCOME._ _Before Christ 1452._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN KING ARAD— Most of the ancient versions have it, _the Canaanitish king of Arad._ That there was such a city in Canaan, appears from Joshua 12:14. Joshua 1:16 which probably had its name from one of the sons of Canaan called _Arvad,_ which the LXX and Vulgate translate _Arad._ Genesis 10:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL UTTERLY DESTROY THEIR CITIES— _I will utterly devote their cities to destruction._ They implored the divine aid by a solemn vow, thus obliging themselves to devote all the persons to death, and their goods to sacred uses. See Leviticus 27:28 and Joshua 6:17; Joshua 6:27. Instances of this kin... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY UTTERLY DESTROYED THEM, AND THEIR CITIES:— _They utterly devoted them and their cities;_ Dr. Waterland. Houbigant agrees with Dr. Waterland in this translation, _ipsorum urbes anathemate devovit;_ a translation which entirely removes all those difficulties wherewith the text is incumbered by th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY JOURNEYED FROM MOUNT HOR, BY THE WAY OF THE RED SEA— Houbigant supposes that the word, which we render the Red-sea, _im-suph,_ is one word, denoting some principal place in that country; and so, accordingly, he renders it, upon the supposed impossibility of the Israelites passing again by t... [ Continue Reading ]
_NUMBERS 21:4_. New provocations bring down new plagues upon them. We have here, 1. Their murmuring. Discouraged by the length and difficulties of the road, they not only quarrel with Moses, but speak also against God, as if his design was to destroy them instead of saving them; and, loathing of God... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SENT FIERY SERPENTS AMONG THE PEOPLE— Bochart takes these serpents to have been of that kind which is called _Hydrus,_ or Chersydrus, whose bite dries up the skin, and occasions a violent heat; whence the Hebrew calls them _fiery:_ their poison is more inflammatory in the hot months, as thi... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE THEE A FIERY SERPENT, AND SET IT UPON A POLE— The author of the Book of Wisdom sets this matter in its proper light, when he calls this fiery serpent _a sign of salvation to put them in remembrance of God's laws; for he that turned himself towards it,_ says he, was _not saved by the thing that... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES MADE A SERPENT OF BRASS— That it might resemble a serpent of a flaming colour; and, being splendid, might be seen far and near. Naturalists observe, that the sight of the image of the creature by which men were bitten, tended of itself rather to increase disease, and fill them with greater ang... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SET FORWARD— From the place where the brazen serpent was erected, called Punon; chap. Numbers 33:42 where see an account of all these stations.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PITCHED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ARNON— A river which took its rise from the mountains of Arabia, and fell into the Dead sea; the country of Moab being on the south side of it, and that of the Amorites on the north. It divided itself into several streams, whence is that expression, Numbers 21:14 _in... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, &C.— _Wherefore mention is made in the story of the wars of the Lord, in Vaheb in Supha, and of the brooks of Arnon,—and of the stream,_ &c. (Carpz. Introd. part 1: p. 124. Wat.) This version of Dr. Waterland gives us the most intelligible account of the present obscure passage. Le Clerc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FROM THENCE THEY WENT TO BEER— Or, as the context explains it, to the well which, by God's direction, they dug, and from whence they were supplied with water in their necessity. Grateful for which, they sung the alternate song of praise mentioned in the next verse; where what we translate, _Sing... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE DIRECTION OF THE LAW-GIVER, WITH THEIR SLAVES— Houbigant renders this verse, _This is the well which the princes digged; which the nobles of the people digged in that place which their staff assigned, or pointed out._ The Hebrew is, word for word, says he, _in indicio facto per baculos ipsoru... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE TOP OF PISGAH— Houbigant renders this, _Ras-pisgah,_ supposing the whole a proper name; which, says he, in so uncertain a matter, seems the safest: for, from the context, it sufficiently appears, that this was not the mountain _Pisgah;_ nor can it be proper to render ראשׁ _rosh,_ a _mountain,... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CAME TO JAHAZ, AND FOUGHT AGAINST ISRAEL— Jahaz was a city either in the country of Moab, or near it, as appears from Isaiah 15:4.Jeremiah 48:21. There the Amorites fell upon the Israelites when they had given them no provocation, and consequently were the first aggressors: so that the just groun... [ Continue Reading ]
POSSESSED HIS LAND FROM ARNON UNTO JABBOK, EVEN UNTO THE CHILDREN OF AMMON— This is a brief description of the extent of Sihon's country, which reached from the river Arnon, the bound of the Moabites country on the south, ch. Numbers 22:36 unto the river Jabbok, which was the bound of the Ammonites... [ Continue Reading ]
HESHBON—THE CITY OF SIHON— Heshbon was the capital city of the Amorites, and their king's seat; and _Sihon_ is thought to be the name common to all the kings of the Amorites, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egypt: so that the meaning is, that one of the kings of the Amorites made an inroad into the K... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT SPEAK IN PROVERBS— Upon occasion of the conquest of the Amorites over the Moabites, the sacred historian informs us, that a famous poems or song of rejoicing, was composed by the Amorites, which was sung to that day. The word משׁלים _moshlim,_ signifies _allegorists,_ proverbialists; or, i... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THERE IS A FIRE GONE OUT OF HESHBON— The poet here rises into raptures, and prophesies the conquest of the whole country by the desolating army of Sihon marching out of Heshbon: for by _fire_ is meant _desolating war,_ to which it is most fitly compared: so in Judges 9:20. Isaiah 29:6. Amos 1:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
O PEOPLE OF CHEMOSH— Here, in the poetical strain, he apostrophises the Moabites, who worshipped the God Chemosh, and are therefore called, _the people of Chemosh,_ Judges 11:24. 1 Kings 11:7. Jeremiah 7:13. For it is at all times to be remembered, the better to understand the Scriptures, that every... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE SHOT AT THEM— The Hebrew here is אבד ונירם _vaniram abad,_ which Le Clerc and others render, _and their light is perished: i.e._ their valiant youth, who are the _lights_ and ornaments of the state, and who are the light, i.e. the joy, of their parents: others, of whom Houbigant is one, rend... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES SENT TO SPY OUT JAAZER— Another city belonging to Moab, but now in the possession of the Amorites, which the Israelites did not take at first. It should seem, from ch. Numbers 32:1. 2 Samuel 24:5 and 1 Chronicles 26:31 to have been situated not far from mount Gilead. St. Jerome places it a... [ Continue Reading ]
WENT BY THE WAY OF BASHAN— A famous mountain, Psalms 68:15 lying more northwardly than the country of Sihon, and belonging also to the Amorites; for both Sihon and Og are said to be kings of the Amorites, Deuteronomy 3:8. It is celebrated in Scripture for its rich pasture, and excellent breed of cat... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES— We refer the reader to the third chapter of Deuteronomy, where this event is recorded more at large. REFLECTIONS.—Instead of being warned by the fate of his neighbours, Og, king of Bashan, hastens to the attack, and meets the like destruction. God encourages his people; th... [ Continue Reading ]