Bible-Center
РУ
EN
FR
Bible
Notes
FAQ
Links
About

Search

Search Search
search in current section [Notes]

NOTES for Num 21:1-35

Printable version
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.
2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
3 And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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 before Moab, toward the sunrising.
12 From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17 Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
18 The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:
19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:
20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.
23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
28 For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.
29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.
34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
Hide

Israel's history is full of examples of how the people's weak faith led to defeats, while trust in God led to victories. Each of us surely knows from personal experience how true this is in our own life as well. The bronze serpent became the most vivid symbol of this pattern. Everyone who lifted his eyes to heaven to look at it received healing from the wounds caused by unbelief. Christ connects the standard on which the serpent was lifted with His own cross (Jn 3:14), thereby testifying that He is the One in whom the new Israel must trust - mighty God and Father of the age to come.

Other notes

 
For Num 21:1-35
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.
2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
3 And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.
4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
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 before Moab, toward the sunrising.
12 From thence they removed, and pitched in the valley of Zared.
13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.
16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
17 Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:
18 The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:
19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:
20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
21 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king's high way, until we be past thy borders.
23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.
24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.
26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
27 Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say, Come into Heshbon, let the city of Sihon be built and prepared:
28 For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.
29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon, and we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer, and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites that were there.
33 And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.
34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon.
35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
Hide
The way to the promised land is full of adventures, and many of them, like the story with the snakes that attacked the people after another outburst of indignation, are troubles the travelers bring on themselves. And no wonder...  Read more

The way to the promised land is full of adventures, and many of them, like the story with the snakes that attacked the people after another outburst of indignation, are troubles the travelers bring on themselves. And no wonder. One can follow God into the land He promised only by following Him literally step by step. That, for the most part, is how it was - it is no accident that there, in the Book of Numbers, it is mentioned that everyone watched the Tabernacle and the cloud of God's presence above it. When the cloud moved, the people moved too. Without God's instruction no one went anywhere - at least outwardly. Inwardly it was more complicated. The inner state is not so easy to recognize; here everything is not so obvious or unambiguous.

One can follow God - but what will be in the heart while doing so? If a person on the way after God becomes extremely demanding, it means that inwardly he experiences his movement as a kind of favor to God, who, since He has called him to follow, must also guarantee some acceptable minimum of comfort, and the person usually considers himself entitled to define the measure of what is acceptable. If right now we want to drink, then there must be water somewhere nearby, and God must take care of it. If He does not take care of it, then He has either abandoned us or deceived us from the beginning.

For a fallen human being such a reaction of distrust is quite understandable and natural - it is simply the transfer of relationships between people in the fallen world onto God and His relationship to us. Simply put, from Him we expect the very same thing that, consciously or unconsciously, we have become accustomed to expect from the people around us. An a priori distrust of fallen humanity is understandable, but that does not make it easier: it interferes very strongly with one's relationship with God, in fact destroying it as soon as it begins to be established.

The only way to resist this, when it concerns fallen humanity, is to place a person in conditions of real danger, where he finds himself face to face with someone or something that truly threatens him. Then a person usually forgets all his prejudices and rushes to God. So it was with the people during skirmishes with the nations and tribes through whose territory they had to pass: there one had either to trust God for real or perish. In relatively peaceful times, the role of enemies was played by those very snakes: they forced a person to remember God as the only One who can help and save. The pedagogy is severe, but the situation is critical: the question of trusting God in the desert is a question of survival, not only spiritual, but also physical.

Hide
 
For Num 21:4-9
4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Hide
The story of the bronze serpent is one of the most mysterious in the Pentateuch. The principle "like is healed by like" works here in some...  Read more

The story of the bronze serpent is one of the most mysterious in the Pentateuch. The principle "like is healed by like" works here in a completely mysterious way. Biblical scholars have put forward many ingenious explanations of this event, but none of them can be considered exhaustive. Yet God's intention in this case is fairly transparent. Every case of grumbling and dissatisfaction mentioned in the Pentateuch is ultimately explained by the fact that God and His power are not obvious to the overwhelming majority of the people. What is obvious to them is something else: the endless waterless wilderness, hunger threatening them and their flocks, and the aggressive nomads inhabiting the oases of Sinai and Transjordan. And those "fiery serpents" which, according to the biblical account, bit the Hebrews in the wilderness and killed them were one of these dangers, obvious and terrible in their inevitability.

The miracles of God, however, were much less noticeable in the wilderness. When it was necessary, the sea parted. When it was required, water gushed from what seemed to be an absolutely dry rock. When the people were dying of thirst, the bitter water of a desert stream became clean and pleasant. And every time, if one wished, everything could be explained by natural causes, a lucky combination of circumstances, or something else belonging to the sphere of "this world." God is unobtrusive; He does not want to "prove" His existence to a person by miracles. Against this background the story of the bronze serpent may seem like an exception to the rule. But it only seems that way at first glance.

In fact, God is only trying to convey to His people a simple truth, though one learned with great difficulty: the appearance and the essence of a given phenomenon are different things. Behind the same appearance there may be things opposite in essence, as opposite as life and death. A serpent in itself can neither kill nor give life. Everything depends on whose power stands behind the serpent. If the power of God stands behind it, the serpent will cease to be deadly and will become life-giving.

So it is with every other miracle: a phenomenon becomes miraculous not when it violates all the laws of the universe (such violation was never God's goal in itself), but when the power of God is hidden behind it and revealed through it. And not because God is stronger than everyone and can subject any other power to Himself, but because such a phenomenon becomes part of God's plan and part of His great world. And therefore, in perspective, it can also become part of His Kingdom.

Hide
 
For Num 21:4-9
4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Hide
It is astonishing how clearly and well God knows us. No human being has such clarity of knowledge about himself. And the Lord...  Read more

It is astonishing how clearly and well God knows us. No human being has such clarity of knowledge about himself. And the Lord naturally uses His knowledge to help us find the way to Him and see His light. Knowing the thoughts and grumbling of the children of Israel, God sends venomous serpents among them. People begin to die, but they probably do not immediately understand that the disaster is connected with their betrayal. They come to Moses as a man able to appeal to God and be heard. And the Lord offers a solution: He does not remove the serpents from His people, but moves the children of Israel to turn to Him for healing, if only by looking at the bronze serpent made by Moses. Otherwise, it would be all too easy to say that the serpents simply crawled in and then crawled away, refusing to recognize in what happened God's fatherly discipline and Love (see Prov 3:11-12, Rev 3:19).

Hide
Bible
Notes
FAQ
Links
About
Site map
Design and development:  © 2001–2026 W-M v:2.0.3.107

After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan.

Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free.