NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:1__ This victory at Hormah marks a turning point. From now on, one victory follows another until they reach the Jordan, ready to enter Canaan. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:2 DEVOTE THEIR CITIES TO DESTRUCTION. Israel promised to keep no spoils of war for themselves if God gave them victory. Later God ordered that all Canaanite cities that resisted Israel should be treated like HORMAH (Deuteronomy 20:16). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getEleme... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:4__ The people once again grumble about their food. They are punished by poisonous snake bites. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:9 BRONZE SERPENT. The Hebrew term translated “bronze” can also mean “copper” (see esv footnote). The redness of copper suggests atonement (see Numbers 19:1). Jesus compares his own death on the cross to the uplifted serpent (John 3:14). By the time of King Hezekiah of Juda... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:10 These verses summarize Israel’s passage through the Transjordan, east of the Dead Sea, around the territory of Moab and through the land of the Amorites. Many of the places cannot be precisely located, but the general route is clear. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElem... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:14 THE BOOK OF THE WARS OF THE LORD was perhaps a collection of ancient songs, like the Book of Jashar (see Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18). The esv translates the Hebrew text as it exists today. Because of the difficulty in understanding these verses, some have suggested the... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:16 These verses celebrate finding an abundant WELL. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:21 SIHON, king of the Amorites, attacked Israel and was defeated (v. Numbers 21:24). This was the first land the Israelites settled (v. Numbers 21:25). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:27 This old poem celebrates the previous capture of Moabite territory by SIHON. It is probably included to show that the Israelites were justified in displacing the Amorites from their land, since they had acquired it from the Moabites by force. The poem also helps to expl... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:29 CHEMOSH was the god of Moab (Judges 11:24). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 21:31__ The campaign against OG is reported more fully in Deuteronomy 3:1. This large area in northern Transjordan was later settled by three tribes (see Numbers 32:1). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, im [ Continue Reading ]