Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Numbers 21:11-20
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 of water seemed to them like a dream fulfilled which they celebrated in song. The battle against the wilderness was won. But then they would have to move on to a different kind of battle. One difficulty after another would arise. In a sinful world life is ever such. But with Yahweh with them it would all turn out for the good.
Analysis.
a The people journey to the southern border of Moab - the Valley of Zered - and then pass on to their northern border, ‘on the other side of the Arnon' (Numbers 21:11)
b A song from the Wars of Yahweh referring to water at Arnon (Numbers 21:14)
c The people come to the well where Yahweh promises water (Numbers 21:16)
b A song of the well as water is obtained (Numbers 21:17 a)
a The people journey to the Pisgah - north of Moab - with the land in sight from the Pisgah (Numbers 21:18).
Journey to the Arnon (Numbers 21:11).
‘And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising.'
Compare here Numbers 33:44. Iye-abarim means ‘the ruins of Abarim'. It was by Moab, on the east (the sunrising).
‘From there they journeyed, and encamped in the valley of Zered. From there they journeyed, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, which comes out of the border of the Amorites.'
And from Iye-abarim they journeyed to the valley of Zered through which ran the Wadi Zered. The crossing of the Zered was seen as a major event in Deuteronomy 2:13. There we learn that at this point the old generation was seen as having all passed away. Yahweh's work of pruning was completed.
‘From there they journeyed, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, which comes out of the border of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.'
They then moved along the eastern border of Moab in semi-desert and came to the River Arnon, Moab's northern border. Note the continual stress on their being ‘in the wilderness'. They avoided the ‘built up areas'. They were seeking not to cause offence and to avoid aggression. But progress was now satisfactory.
A Song of Victory And Taking Of Water Sources and Land (Numbers 21:14).
After the preliminary victory over Arad there now began a period of constant victory. The instatement of Eleazar had introduced a new era indeed.
‘For this reason it is said in the book of the Wars of Yahweh:
“Vaheb in a whirlwind,
And the tributary wadis of the Arnon,
And the slope of the valleys,
Which inclines toward the dwelling of Ar,
And leans on the border of Moab.” '
The book of the Wars of Yahweh is mentioned only here. It probably contained the details of the battle at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8) and subsequent wars and skirmishes, including the battles fought here, written by Moses as God had instructed (Exodus 17:14).
The quotation was a reminder that their journey had been catalogued with this being an extract depicting this moment of the beginnings of their first major war, and it vividly pictured the victories which were to come. Vaheb was no doubt an Amorite fortress city, seemingly rapidly taken by Israel ‘in a whirlwind', followed by the regions of the tributaries of the Arnon and the plains looking down on the Moabite border and the city of Ar, sources of water and land. Chronologically this would come in verse 24. But it is mentioned here as a reminder of their first permanent capture of water sources and fertile land which took place after reaching the Arnon, a firstfruit of what was to come. Together with what followed it stressed the abundance of water now made available to Israel. It was the commencement of the period of ‘milk and honey', and with what follows it was the climax of the new beginning. Plentiful water was ever the picture of blessing, from Eden on to Revelation 22.
Yahweh Provides An Abundant Water Source (Numbers 21:16).
‘And from there they journeyed to Beer, that is the well of which Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”
Their next movement was to Beer (well). We are told that this was specifically a well revealed by Yahweh and made available to them, for He had said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” This well was so abundant that it resulted in a song of triumph. Note the song sandwich (see analysis above), a song before and a song afterwards. The water sources and well were the ultimate answer to all Israel's periods of shortage of water as epitomised by the contention at Meribah. Only those who have known extreme water shortage can appreciate quite what this meant to Israel. The water sources were a symbol of life.
Then sang Israel this song,
“Spring up, O well; sing you to it,
The well, which the princes dug,
Which the nobles of the people delved,
With the sceptre, and with their staves.”
Yahweh having revealed the whereabouts of the spring the well ‘sprang up'. The princes and nobles took the lead, digging it with their sceptre and staves. This would be the ceremonial element. Others would move in and do the hard work. But the song reveals the general rejoicing. They knew that their troubles with regard to water were behind them.
The wonder of the Christian life is that this overflowing water is always available in Christ. We can come to Him and drink, and the water we receive will then be in us a spring of water springing up to eternal life (John 4:14), and flowing out from us to a thirsty world round about (John 7:37).
Numbers 21:18 (18b-20)
‘And from the wilderness they journeyed to Mattanah, and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks towards Jeshimon (or ‘down on the desert').'
Now that they had abundant water advance was rapid. They moved quickly from one place to another until they came to the border of the promised land, and were able to look over at it from the Pisgah.
Bamoth (heights, high places) is probably identical with the Bamoth Baal, ‘the heights of Baal' of Numbers 22:4. The purpose in these names here is to indicate the speed of travel until they came to the Pisgah (precipice) from which they could view the promised land across the Jordan valley. Thus the movement is seen as going from place to place almost without stopping until they reached the valley in the field of Moab and the top of the Pisgah which looks over the bleak desert over the Jordan at that point (compare for the description Numbers 23:28). This last area would be synonymous with ‘Abarim which is before Nebo'. These were not encampments, they were landmarks.
Compare here Numbers 33:45. But there it is the encampments which were recorded, where they set up the Dwellingplace, identified by the names of cities by which they encamped, while here those were deliberately ignored in order to give the impression of haste. Dibon-gad (Dibon of Gad), Almon-diblathaim and Abarim which is before Nebo (Numbers 33:45) would be camp sites near cities, where the Dwellingplace was set up.