EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Numbers 21:1
1The king of Arad city lived in the Negev desert. That was in the south part of Canaan. People told him that the Israelites were coming on the road to Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and he caught some of them.
Numbers 21:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.
Context of Numbers 21:1
The king of Arad city lived in the Negev desert. That was in the south part of Canaan. People told him that the Israelites were coming on the road to Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and he caught some of them. 2The Israelites made this promise to the Lord: ‘If you put these people under our power, we will destroy their towns for you.’ 3The Lord accepted the Israelites' promise. He put the Canaanites under their power. The Israelites destroyed them and all their towns. After that, the place was called Hormah.
Read all of Numbers 21Numbers 21:1 word by word
וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע הַכְּנַעֲנִ֤י מֶֽלֶךְ־עֲרָד֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב הַנֶּ֔גֶב כִּ֚י בָּ֣א יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל דֶּ֖רֶךְ הָאֲתָרִ֑ים וַיִּלָּ֙חֶם֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּ֥שְׁבְּ׀ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ שֶֽׁבִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- Aradעֲרָד‛ărâd · AradH6166
- the Canaaniteכְּנַעֲנִיkena‛anîy · CanaaniteH3669
- which dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · NegebH5045
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- tell that Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- of the spiesאֲתָרִים'ăthârîym · AtharimH871
- then he foughtלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
- and tookשָׁבָהshâbâh · to take captiveH7617
- of them prisonersשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628
Cross-references for Numbers 21:1
- Numbers 33:40The king of Arad lived in the south part of the land of Canaan. People told him that the Israelites were coming.
- Joshua 12:14king of Hormah, king of Arad,
- Judges 1:16The Kenites were descendants of Moses' wife's father. They left Jericho with Judah's people to live in the region of Arad, in the Negev desert.
- Numbers 13:21So the men went and they explored the land of Canaan. They started in the desert called Zin, and they continued to Rehob, near Lebo-Hamath.
- Numbers 14:45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills ran down. They attacked the Israelite men and they chased them to Hormah.
- Deuteronomy 2:32Then Sihon and all his army came out to fight a battle against us at Jahaz.
- Joshua 7:5They chased the Israelites away from the gate of the city and they killed about 36 Israelite soldiers. They chased them down the hill as far as Shebarim. They killed the Israelites as they ran down the hill. When the people of Israel heard this, they became very frightened.
- Joshua 11:19None of those kingdoms agreed not to fight against the Israelites, except the Hivites who lived in Gibeon. The Israelites fought battles against all the other kingdoms and they won.
- Psalms 44:3Our ancestors did not get the land by the power of their own swords. Their own strength did not win the fight. It was your own power and strength that did it! You were kind to them because you were their friend.
Commentaries on Numbers 21:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The way of the spies - אתרים atharim . Some think that this signifies the way that the spies took when they went to search the land. But this is impossible, as Dr. Kennicott justly remarks, because Israel had now marched from Meribah-Kadesh to Mount Hor, beyond Ezion-Gaber, and were turning round Edom to the south-east; and therefore the word is to be understood here as the name of a place.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1King Arad the Canaanite - Rather, “the Canaanite, the king of Arad.” Arad stood on a small hill, now called Tel-Arad, 20 miles south of Hebron. In the south - See Numbers 13:17, Numbers 13:22. By the way of the spies - i. e. through the desert of Zin, the route which the spies sent out by Moses 38 years before had adopted (compare Numbers 13:21). He fought against Israel - This attack (compare Numbers 20:1 and note), can hardly have taken place after the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Canaanites of Arad destroyed. (1-3) The people murmuring, are plagued with fiery serpents, They repenting, are healed through the brazen serpent. (4-9) Further journeys of the Israelites. (10-20) Sihon and Og overcome, Their land possessed. (21-35) Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1the Canaanite king of Arad: It is possible that the Canaanite king of Arad felt threatened by many enemies south of his territory (compare 14:44–45). This may explain why he attacked Israel. Arad and Hormah (21:3) were far north of Mount Hor (20:22–29; 21:4; see study note on 20:22–23). Ancient Arad is usually identified with Tell Arad. It is west of the modern Israeli town of Arad and about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Kadesh. Excavations at Tell…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-351. King Arad the Canaanite--rather, "the Canaanite king of Arad"--an ancient town on the southernmost borders of Palestine, not far from Kadesh. A hill called Tell Arad marks the spot. heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies--in the way or manner of spies, stealthily, or from spies sent by himself to ascertain the designs and motions of the Israelites. The Septuagint and others consider the Hebrew word "spies" a proper name, and render it…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 21:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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