American Standard Version

Numbers 21:8-30

8And Jehovah said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.

10And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in Oboth. 11And they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrising. 12From thence they journeyed, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13From thence they journeyed, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness, that cometh out of the border of the Amorites: for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of Jehovah,

Vaheb in Suphah,And the valleys of the Arnon,15And the slope of the valleys That inclineth toward the dwelling of Ar,And leaneth upon the border of Moab.

16And from thence they journeyed to Beer: that is the well whereof Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.

17Then sang Israel this song:

Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it:18The well, which the princes digged,Which the nobles of the people delved,With the sceptre, and with their staves.

And from the wildernessthey journeyedto Mattanah; 19and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh down upon the desert.

21And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, 22Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn aside into field, or into vineyard; we will not drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s highway, until we have passed thy border. 23And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel. 24And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. 25And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the towns thereof. 26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto the Arnon. 27Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say,

Come ye to Heshbon;Let the city of Sihon be built and established:28For a fire is gone out of Heshbon,A flame from the city of Sihon:It hath devoured Ar of Moab,The lords of the high places of the Arnon.29Woe to thee, Moab!Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh:He hath given his sons as fugitives,And his daughters into captivity,Unto Sihon king of the Amorites.30We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon,And we have laid waste even unto Nophah,Whichreacheth unto Medeba.

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Commentaries on Numbers 21

American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain