Numbers 21

Chap. XXI. Ver. 1-15. The Canaanites devoted— The fiery and brazen serpents.—A rumour respecting their land being given by Jehovah to the Israelites, and also of the errand of the spies to search it out, having been circulated among the determined to attack them first, and so far succeeded as to take some prisoners. On this, the people made a solemn vow, (founded on the law in (Leviticus 27:29).) that they would devote both them and their cities to utter destruction, according to the divine decree; and therefore called the name of the place Hormah, which means a place thus devoted. It does not appear, however, that their destruction was at this time accomplished, for the kings of Arad and of Hormah are both reckoned among those destroyed by Joshua and his army.

((Joshua 12:14).) At present, it should seem, the Israelites were content with repelling the aggression, and, perhaps, recovering their prisoners, and then marched on to compass the land of Edom. But here, we are told, the people were much “discouraged,” or “grieved,” on account of the way. They perhaps had thought that, by passing straight through Edom, they should come immediately to the land of promise; but this being refused them, by going round that country their journey was much lengthened, and at the same time, probably, very rugged. But this was not the worst; they were also again straitened for bread and water, and their soul loathed the manna from heaven, which they contemptuously denominated “light bread;”

that is, unnutritive and unsubstantial food. This, of course, offended their heavenly benefactor, and provoked him to deliver them up to the serpents of the wilderness, which are stated by respectable travellers to be both numerous and very fatal. They are said to be fiery serpents, but whether this alludes to their brilliant fiery colour, or to the inflammatory consequences of their bite, interpreters are not agreed; but may be so included. By these means many of the people died, and the rest were brought to repentance. But the remedy appointed for the disease hereby inflicted, more immediately calls for our attention. A serpent of brass is directed to be made, in form and colour similar to the animals by which they had been stung; this is ordered to be elevated to a considerable height, upon a pole; and the remedy is by an earnest, repentant, and believing view of this harmless and inoffensive serpent, to heal the effects occasioned by the sting of the fiery ones.

It seems almost impossible for a Christian not here to recognise the image of his Saviour, who, though “without sin, was made “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” and who was lifted up upon the cross, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish” by the sting of sin, “but have eternal life,” by the atoning merits of the Saviour. ((John 3:14). (Romans 8:3).) After this, Israel pass through several stations, till they come to the river Arnon, which was the border (or boundary), of Moab, between the Moabites and Amorites. Here is an allusion to an event of which we have no distinct account: but which from its being compared to the miracle at the Red sea, was probably a signal interposition of Providence in Israel’s favour.

That some ancient writings, quoted or referred to in the Scriptures, may have been lost, we have no difficulty in admitting; it does not, however, follow that they were inspired writings; and even if they were, we have much more reason to be thankful for what is preserved, than to murmur that some have been lost, in the course of several thousand years. The book of “the wars of the Lord,” was probably a journal of all the military proceedings of the Israelites; and the words immediately following are generally considered as an extract: the present version, however, (if it can be critically justified,) certainly makes an intelligible and consistent meaning, namely, that what the Lord did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon, “is said,”

that is, narrated or told, in the work referred to; and was, doubtless, calculated to animate and excite the people both to conquest and to praise. Ver. 17—35. The song of the well—The destruction of Sihon and Og.—The digging of a well was, with the ancients, a matter of much ceremony and importance; so it appears the princes of Israel began with their legislative or official staves to dig these wells. (See note on (Genesis 49:10).) Farther, as with us, this ceremony is often accompanied by some public service or oration, so on this occasion, we are informed, was sung the following stanza, in responses: “Spring up, O well! Sing responses unto it. The princes have digged the well, The nobles of the people digged it, With the legislator, by their staves.”

Our Lord having taught us to improve all the common occurrences of life in reference to spiritual objects; and having himself, at Jacob’s well, discoursed to the woman of Samaria on the subject of divine influences, under the image of “a well of living water,” ((John 4:10-14).) we cannot close this subject better than by devout aspirations like unto hers: “Lord, evermore give us this water! May it be in us a well of water springing up unto everlasting life!” On arriving at the land of the Amorites, the same message is through their country; and no other answer appears to have been returned than the sending out an army to attack the Israelites; the Lord gave the victory to the latter, who defeated these Amorites, and took possession of their land.

It appears, however, that Sihon, who was thus defeated and dispossessed, had taken this land from a former king of Moab. Thus have we here a striking instance of the righteous retribution of Providence; the violence which he had offered to the Moabites is here returned upon his own head; and that which he had plundered from Moab is now taken by Israel. Great and mysterious are the ways of Providence; but the Scriptures sometimes, as in this instance, admit us, as it were, behind the scenes, and, by such discoveries, “vindicate the ways of God to man.” Another piece of ancient poetry is here inserted, which was probably composed by some Moabitish patriot, one who spoke in proverbs, that is, a poet, lamenting the misfortunes of his country, and is here cited to prove the fact referred to.

So St. Paul quotes the heathen poets against idolatry. ((Acts 17:28).) On the character of Og, king of Bashan, and the signal victory obtained over him, we shall have farther occasion to animadvert. As to the ferocious character of these wars, which were generally wars of extirpation, and the employment of Israel as agents in the hand of Jehovah, and messengers of the divine justice, particularly on the Canaanites, we shall reserve our observations on this subject to our introduction of the following book, Deuteronomy. At present we shall only quote the song of angels on a like occasion: “Thou art righteous O Lord, because thou hast judged thus:——even so, Lord God Almighty! true and righteous are thy judgments.”

((Revelation 16:6, 8).)

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXI. Ver. 1. And when king Arad: or, “when the Canaanite, the king of Arad, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim.” —Thus the LXX., who take both Arad and Atharim (rendered spies) to be names of places. So also the Arabic, Dathe, Boothroyd, &c. The Chaldee, however, which our version follows, renders it, “by the way of the spies:” meaning (says Ainsworth) that, “after they had been turned back towards the Red sea, ((Numbers 14:25).) and had been at Ezion-gaber, ((Numbers 33:35).) they returned again towards Canaan, along by Edom’s coast.” It is probable that the king of Arad had process but a very confused and incorrect account of the course which the spies took. Ver. 3. Hormah.—Margin, “utter destruction.”

The LXX. render it devoted, accursed, according to the Law in (Leviticus 27:28-29). Some have supposed that this verse may be a phrase afterwards inserted by Joshua. But the name seems applied to different cities of the Canaanites, which were, in fact, all thus devoted, and eventually destroyed. The text cannot be understood to mean that they were all 7010 destroyed, but devoted to destruction by a solemn vow, which was eventually fulfilled. See Joshua xii. 14. Ver. 4. By way of the Red sea.—Not the sea they passed on leaving Egypt; but bending their course from mount Hor, they declined for some time to the north-east, in the way to the eastern gulf of that sea, (still, however, keeping at a distance from it,) till at length they turned south-east, through Moab, to the plains of Jordan.

This explanation corresponds with the map by Dr. Clarke; but according to Dr. Wall, they went by the “way from the Red sea to Moab.” ——The soul of the poor was much discouraged.—Hebrew, “shortened,” or rather straitened. In English, perhaps, we should express the same idea by saying, “Their spirits were much depressed.” Ver. 5. This light bread.—Ha-kalkal, “a word of excessive scorn.”—Dr. Ver. 6. Fiery serpents.—The Hebrew is, “The serpents, the seraphim,” or seraphim serpents. The root seraphim (or seraph) certainly signifies to burn, or glow, like fire: and hence that word is applied to “the burning spirits which surround the throne” of Deity. These serpents might receive that name, either from the burning inflammation which they occasioned, or from their fiery colour and appearance; and it is not

improbable that both qualities may unite in the same serpent. From these animals being called seraphs, and seraphs being described with wings, ((Isaiah 6:2).) it has also been concluded that they were flying serpents; for this, however, we have no authority in the text, and the present existence of such animals seems doubtful; those which have been so considered, according to Rosenmüller, are a kind of lizards, with wings like bats. Herodotus, however, mentions creatures of this kind, which were destroyed in multitudes by the Ibis. See Harris’ Nat. History of the Bible. Ver. 9. A serpent—literally, a seraph—of brass.—This image was, no doubt, made in the form of the fiery serpents, and erected on one of the long poles used for standards.

That the serpent in itself could possess no healing power is sufficiently obvious; and is well expressed by the author of the apocryphal book Wisdom, who remarks, (Numbers 16:7). “He that turned himself towards was not healed by the thing which he saw; but by thee, who art the Saviour of a Vid Ver. 11. Oboth.—{Probably Oboda, a city of Arabia Petrea, mentioned by Ptolemy. Pliny assigns it to the Helmodians; but Stephanus to the Nabatheans.}—Bagster.—Ijje-abarim.—Margin, “The heaps of Abarim;” either the ruins of some former town, or a monument of some event, formed by a heap of stones, as was very common. Ver. 14. What he did in the Red sea.—Margin, Vaheb in suphah. That our translators were here puzzled, is sufficiently evident from their putting the original words in the margin; nor is this any reproach to them, since the text has continued to lose all subsequent critics to the present day.

The sense given by our translators is from the Chaldee Targum, but cannot be made out from the Hebrew. Most of the moderns, therefore, take Vaheb for a proper name, either of a place or person, who was destroyed—“in a whirlwind,” says Ainsworth, “and in the brooks of Arnon.” Others conceive that there may be some slight error crept in the text, either by the change or dropping of a letter in transcribing, which occasions this obscurity, in a place happily of no importance.—[Vaheb in Suphah, The following seems to be the sense of this passage: “From Vaheb in Suphah, and the torrents of Arnon, even the effusion of the torrents, which goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth for the boundary of Moab; even from thence to the well; (which is the well of which Jehovah spake unto Moses, Gather the people, and I will give them water.

Then sang Israel this song: Spring up, O well! Answer ye to it. The well, princes digged it; even nobles of the people digged it, by a decree upon their borders;) and from the wilderness (or the well, as in LXX.) to Mattanah; and from Mattanah,” &c. The whole of this, from verse 14—20, is a fragment from “the book of the wars of Jehovah,” probably a book of remembrances or directions written by Moses for the use of Joshua, and describes the several boundaries of the land of Moab. This rendering removes every obscurity, and obviates every difficulty.]—Bagster. Ver. 16. They went to Beer.—That is, the well; some well, probably, that was originally dug by the patriarchs, (the princes of Israel,) and was now reopened.

See (Genesis 26:18). Ver. 17. Spring up.—Margin, “ascend;” but spring up is more poetical. ——Sing ye.—Margin, “Answer.” The original term signifies to sing in responses, (Exodus 15:21)., and aha moon hb i Lect. 19, Note 11. “The Elusinian women practised a dance about a well, which was called cailichorus, and their dance was also accompanied by songs in honour of Ceres. These “songs of the well” are still sung in other parts of Greece, as well as in Syria. De Guys mentions them. He says, that he has “seen the young women in Prince’s Island, assembled in the evening at a public well, suddenly strike up a dance, while others sung in concert to them.—The ancient poets composed verses which were sung by the people while they drew the water.—Clarke’s Travels.

Ver. 25. Heshbon.—{Heshbon was situated, according to Eusebius, 20 miles east of Jordan; and Jerome, who places it at the same distance, says it was, in his time, a very considerable city. It still subsists, in ruins, under the name of Heshban,}—[rae a Al villages thereof.]—Margin, “The daughters thereof.” “The chief cities are counted as mothers, and the villages about them as daughters.” (Joshua 13:17). (Ezekiel 16:44-53). (2 Samuel 20:19).—Ainsworth. Ver. 19. Arnon.—{Arnon is a stream which takes its rise in the mountains of Moab, and by a north-west course, during which it receives the waters of several streams, runs into the Dead sea. It is now called Wady Modjed, and divides the province of Belka from that of Kerek, as it formerly divided the kingdoms of the Moabites and Amorites.

Its principal source is at a short distance to the north-east of Katrane, a station of the Syrian Hadj, where it is called Seyl Sayde; and lower down it receives the name of Esseim el Kereim, or Szefye. The view of the Modjeb is very striking: from the bottom, where the river runs through a narrow stripe of verdant level, about forty yards across, the steep and barren banks arise to a great height, covered with immense blocks of stone; so — when viewed from above, the valley looks like a vast chasm, the distance from one side to another being about two miles.—Burckhardt, Travels.}—Bagster.