Numbers 21:10-20

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 before Moab, toward the sunrising. 12. And 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.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 21:10. And the children of Israel moved forward and camped in Oboth. 11. And they moved forward from Oboth, and camped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. 12. From that place they left and camped in the wady of Zered. 13. From that place they left and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness extending from the boundary of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14. Therefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord,

Waheb in Suphah,
And the wadies of the Arnon,
15. And the slope of the valleys
Which extends to the dwelling of Ar,
And lies at the boundary of Moab.

16. And from there they continued to Beer: that is the well of which the Lord spoke to Moses, Gather the people together and I will give them water.

17. Then Israel sang this song,
Spring up, O well; sing to it:
18.

The well which the princes dug,

Which the nobles excavated,
With the scepter and 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 to the valley which is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the desert.

COMMENTARY

Two stations, later mentioned (Numbers 33:41-43), are omitted at this point; but there is no significance to the omission other than to make the account somewhat more brief. The stations, Zalmonah and Phunon, are not identified, and nothing of consequence occurred at either place. Oboth itself has not been located positively, although it is tentatively set by George Adam Smith on a high plateau in eastern Edom. By the time this point had been reached, Israel had completed its long, and to them unnecessary, journey around the circumference of Edom. Israel had been severely warned not to make war upon the descendants of Esau (Deuteronomy 2:4-6), and to repay them for any provisions procured from the residents of the land. Traveling on the eastern edge of Edom was much less difficult than the former marches had been, since the mountains are almost a continuous plateau. The Edomites, by now convinced that the Israelites have no military intentions, are content to let the huge parade go by unharmed. Ije-abarim, like Oboth, has not been certainly identified. It means, literally, the ruins on the other side, (of the Jordan, that is). In Numbers 33:44, Ije-abarim is located on the border of Moab. Since the march took the tribes well to the east, it is likely that this encampment was near the edge of the Arabian Desert. Later the general name Abarim was applied to the region east of the Jordan, comparable to the area designated as Perea in the New Testament (such usage is to be found in Jeremiah 22:20). At the time of Moses, the name applied to the range of mountains opposite Jericho.

The so-called valley of Zered is commonly thought to be mistakenly used here for the Wady Kerek, which would have been crossed earlier. The next camp, established on the other side of the Arnon, must have been well to the east since the valley of the Arnon is very precipitous as the river approaches the Dead Sea, at which point it would have been impassable to the company of Israel. The Arnon itself usually formed the border between Moab and the land of the Amorites; although it was not always so, this must have been the case at the time of Moses. In the context, the phrase on the other side of the Arnon seems to indicate the south side of the river in the land of Moab. From such a site it would be logical to establish the point from which the territory of the Amorites could be entered. An ambassage was sent to Sihon from the spot.
Concerning the fragmentary song and historical extract introduced at this point, nothing more is known. The book, Book of the Wars of Jehovah, has not been found. Apparently it was composed by anonymous national poets who commemorated various incidents and victories mentioned by Moses. PC asserts that such a poem demonstrates the genuineness of the fragment, as well as the original, since such a fragmentary, isolated and archaic bit obviates forgery (see p. 280). In its original form, the book may have been a compilation of odes celebrating the glorious acts of the Lord. The portion in Numbers 21:14 has neither subject nor verb, indicating its familiarity at the time it was incorporated into the text.

The positive, victorious tone of the poem leaves no doubt about the great hand of God in the affairs of His chosen people. It anticipates the victory over Sihon, and signals the fact that the people will no longer need to depend upon some miraculous act to provide their water: they have but to dig wells. One cannot miss the marvelous contrast in attitude, shifting from very recent bitter complaint to joyous, triumphant praise. Beer Elim, mentioned in Isaiah 15:8, seems to be the spot of the encampment when the great victory song was composed and sung. It is located in the extreme northeastern sector of Moab, at the edge of the desert. The next move, to Mattanah, brings them into a less barren area. Nahaliel, the brook of God, may designate a small tributary of the Arnon, on the route Israel followed north from that river. Bamoth, heights, seems to indicate a site where Baal was worshiped; the full name, in this case, would be Bamoth-Baal, as in Numbers 22:41 and Joshua 13:7. The name, then, might have designated its mountainous elevation; or it could be understood to a high place which served as a central point for Baalism.

The text presents a problem here in the original: And from Bamoth. the valley which in the field. Moab. the top. Pisgah. PC suggests a full reading: And from the heights to the valley that is in the field of Moab, viz., the top of Pisgah, (p. 281). The field would appear to be an area north of the Arnon which is barren plateau. However, since Bamoth is a common name found elsewhere in Moab, as well as in areas where Baalism was strong, the identification is uncertain.

Passing then through the valley, which is unnamed but probably was little less than a glen rather than a wady, the troupe came to the top of Pisgah. Pisgah is applied to a series of peaks along the plateau of northwestern Moab, overlooking the Dead Sea, and offering a commanding view of the land of Canaan. The same term also apparently includes the singel peak of Mt. Nebo, and the two peaks have often been considered identical. It is said to overlook the Jeshimon, or valley. The Jeshimon is usually associated with the area where David took refuge from Saul, the eastern section of the hills of Judea. Here it is applied to the area opposite, just east of the Dead Sea. Since the word is often used as a common noun as well as a proper noun, there is no real confusion of terms. The people's camp will be established here until after the eastern lands have fallen to God's people, and they prepare to cross Jordan after the death of Moses.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

388.

What reasons can you give that so many of the places mentioned here, and in similar passages regarding the travels of the Israelites, are difficult or impossible to identify today?

389.

Examine a topographical map of the region of Edom and its environs. Why would it have been more simpler to cross the northern portion of the Arabah? Why would the Edomites not be afraid to have the Israelites cross the southern point of the country? For what reasons would the Israelites travel along the extreme eastern edge of Edom as they headed north?

390.

Show how the term Abarim is commonly used.

391.

Why is the reference to crossing the Zered probably a mistaken notation?

392.

For what primary reasons would the Israelites avoid crossing the Arnon in the vicinity of the Red Sea?

393.

What do you know of the Book of the Wars of Jehovah? When and by whom was it probably written? What is its essential purpose? How does its piecemeal nature indicate its authenticity?

394.

What great change in life style is indicated in the portion of the poem recorded?

395.

Explain the problem in the original text at Numbers 21:20. What is the probable meaning?

396.

Explain the confusion regarding the name Pisgah.

397.

What region is usually designated by the Jeshimon? What more is meant here?

398.

How long did the Israelites maintain their encampment here?