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Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Numbers 21:3

This took place much later: see Joshua 12:14; Judges 1:16; Judges 1:17. Had they been victorious on this occasion the Israelites would naturally have marched directly northwards into Canaan; but, being repulsed, they retreated southwards, having registered this vow which was ultimately fulfilled. Hormah means a 'devoted thing.' It is from the same root as the verb in Numbers 21:2.

4-9. The Brazen Serpent. Retreating southwards the people are discouraged and give way again to murmuring. Venomous serpents are sent among them. Moses is commanded to make a brazen serpent, and all who look to it in faith are healed.

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See also Numbers 21:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Numbers 21:3. _THE LORD HEARKENED TO THE VOICE OF ISRAEL_] The whole of this verse appears to me to have been added after the days of Joshua. It is certain the Canaanites were not utterly destr...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    HE CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE - Render it as: “the name of the place was called.” The transitive verb here is, by a common Hebrew idiom, equivalent to an impersonal one. HORMAH - i. e. “Ban.” See Nu...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 21 Murmuring and Conquest _ 1. Opposition of King Arad (Numbers 21:1)_ 2. Murmuring and the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:4) 3. The serpent of brass (Numbers 21:8) 4. Journeying and singing

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    SUCCESS OVER THE KING OF ARAD. Since Arad, the modern Tell Arad, 17 miles from Hebron, was in the south of Canaan, and a successful advance of the whole people in that direction would hardly have been...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    CANAANITES. The Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch add "into his (i.e. Israel's) hand". AND THEIR CITIES. These destroyed after Israel came into the land. Compare Joshua 12:14.Judges 1:16; Judges 1:...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The attack made upon Israel by the Canaanites and Israel's victory over them at Hormah. The source of this passage is a great problem. The verses appear to imply a movement on the part of the Israeli...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the name of the place was called Hormah_ In view of the expression -destroyed them and their cities," Hormah would seem to be a district and not a town; and perhaps it is so in Numbers 14:45 (-the Ho...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    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;...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    E. VICTORY AT HORMAH NUMBERS 21:1-3 TEXT Numbers 21:1. 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,...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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._ And they utterly destro...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    21:3 Hormah. (a-30) See ch. 14.45....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 21 THE *ISRAELITES DEFEAT THE *CANAANITES – NUMBERS 21:1-3 V1 The king of Arad lived in the southern part of t

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AND THEY UTTERLY DESTROYED THEM AND THEIR CITIES. — The meaning of the verb which is here employed is to _devote to destruction,_ and hence to _destroy utterly._ It does not clearly appear whether thi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יִּשְׁמַ֨ע יְהוָ֜ה בְּ קֹ֣ול יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל ו

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE LAST MARCH AND THE FIRST CAMPAIGN Numbers 21:1 IT has been suggested in a previous chapter that the repulse of the Israelites by the King of Arad took place on the occasion when, after the return...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE BRAZEN SERPENT; JOURNEYING TO PISGAH Numbers 21:1 It often falls to our lot to compass the land of Edom! It is bad enough to have to fight the desert tribes, but it is harder to traverse the lon...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The movement forward of the people now brought them into the path of conflict. The way was rough and difficult and the people were discouraged. Again they felt a lusting after Egypt and spoke against...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Anathema. That is, a thing devoted to utter destruction. (Challoner) --- The explanation of Horma is inserted by St. Jerome. (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Such should be our conduct, with all our spiritual foes. Nothing but the total destruction of them can bring us peace. Reader! let you and I long for that hour, when we shall sing that song; Now is co...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The previous portion of the Book of Numbers, viewed as a history, has evidently a prefatory character, however important and divinely wise. It is in a great measure preparatory for that which we have...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The question is not here to conduct the people with patience through the wilderness, where the flesh manifested itself; but there are enemies and difficulties to be met; for there are difficulties dis...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THE LORD HEARKENED TO THE VOICE OF ISRAEL,.... In their prayers and vows; with acceptance heard, and answered them according to their wish: AND DELIVERED UP THE CANAANITES: into their hands, gave...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 3. _Delivered up the...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _They utterly destroyed them_ That is, as many of them as they took at that time; but it is plain that all these Canaanites were not destroyed at this time, for we find the king of Arad and the king o...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Israel with some losse destroy the Canaanites at Hormah. 4 The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents. 7 They repenting are healed by a brasen serpent. 10 Sundry iourneyes of the Israel...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, He heard their earnest prayer, in which they placed their entire trust in Him alone, AND DELIVERED UP THE CANAANITES, gave them into the hands of Israel;...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Journey around the Land of Edom. the king of arad subdued....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ATTACK AND DEFEAT OF CANAANITES (vs.1-3) The king of Arad, a Canaanite, heard that Israel was in the same vicinity from which they had sent the spies into the south of Canaan. He therefore took the i...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    HORMAH: that is, utter destruction...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-3 Before the people began their march round the country of Edom, the king of Arad, a Canaanite, who inhabited the southern part of the country, attacked them in the wilderness, and took some prisone...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEY UTTERLY DESTROYED THEM: when? ANSW. Either, 1. Some time after this, under Joshua, who subdued, among others, _the king of Arad_, JOSHUA 12:14. And so this is mentioned here by anticipation, that...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    This chapter brings prominently before us the familiar and beautiful ordinance of the brazen Serpent that great evangelical type. "And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compa...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 21:3 LORD H3068 listened H8085 (H8799) voice H6963 Israel H3478 delivered H5414 (H8799) Canaanites H3669 dest

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    CHAPTER 21 FROM VICTORY THROUGH CHASTENING TO FURTHER VICTORY. The death of Aaron did indicate a new era. In this chapter we cover the first defeat of ‘the Canaanites', the dire warning and chastisem...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    HORMAH That is, utter destruction....

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Numbers 21:1. 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. And Israe...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Victories of Israel; the serpent of brass. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron, Arad, Sihon, Og. CONCLUSION: Those who cry without cause will be given just cause to cry and they will be compelle...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 21:1. _King Arad;_ that is, Arad king of Arad. _The way of the spies,_ is understood to be the route of the twelve spies sent from Kadesh-Barnea. But the LXX not understanding it so, render it...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    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. ⇐

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    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 resi...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES Numbers 21:1. _King Arad the Canaanite_. Rather, “the Canaanite King of Arad.” Arad was a royal city of the Canaanites (Joshua 12:14), and was situated on a hill called...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE LAST MARCH: FROM MOUNT HOR TO JORDAN (CHAPTER 21-22:1). EPISODE OF THE KING OF ARAD (Numbers 21:1)....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Let's turn in our Bibles to Numbers chapter twenty-one. Now the children of Israel have been in the wilderness for about thirty-nine years and they are now beginning to make their move towards the Pro...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 30:30; Deuteronomy 1:44; Joshua 12:14; Numbers 14:45;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    They utterly destroyed them — Neither Moses nor the whole body of the people did this but a select number sent out to punish that king and people, who were so fierce and malicious that they came out o...

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