Numbers 21:2

Numbers 21:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Israel made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then the people of Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns.”

Context of Numbers 21:2

1When 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. Then Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.” 3The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah. 4They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;

Numbers 21:2 word by word

וַיִּדַּ֨ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל נֶ֛דֶר לַֽיהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אִם־נָתֹ֨ן תִּתֵּ֜ן אֶת־הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ בְּיָדִ֔י וְהַֽחֲרַמְתִּ֖י אֶת־עָרֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• vowedנָדַרnâdar · to vowH5087
• a vowנֶ֫דֶרneder nêder · vowH5088
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• If thou wilt indeedנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• into my handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• then I will utterly destroyחָרַםchâram · to devote/destroyH2763
• their citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892

Cross-references for Numbers 21:2

• Genesis 28:20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear
• Judges 11:30And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands,
• 1 Samuel 1:11And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
• 2 Samuel 15:7At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the Lord.
• Psalms 56:12I am under vows to you, my God; I will present my thank offerings to you.
• Psalms 116:18I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,
• Psalms 132:2He swore an oath to the Lord, he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
• Leviticus 27:28“ ‘But nothing that a person owns and devotes to the Lord—whether a human being or an animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 13:15you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock.
• Joshua 6:17The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
• 1 Corinthians 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!

Commentaries on Numbers 21:2

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3devote … to destruction: This phrase translates the Hebrew word kharam. This word means to devote something fully to God by destroying it. Israel was told to completely destroy their enemies and their property in certain cases (see Leviticus 27:28–29; Deuteronomy 7:2; 20:17; Joshua 6–7; 10:1–11:23). This battle also includes wordplay between kharam and Hormah (Hebrew khormah, Numbers 21:3). The similar sounds connect the action of destroying with the name…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord--Made to feel their own weakness, they implored the aid of Heaven, and, in anticipation of it, devoted the cities of this king to future destruction. The nature and consequence of such anathemas are described (Le 27:1-34; De 13:1-18). This vow of extermination against Arad [Nu 21:2] gave name to the place Hormah (slaughter and destruction) though it was not accomplished till after the passage of the Jordan. Others…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 21:2

• Canaanites
• Hormah
• Israel

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Anathema
• Behold
• Exodus
• Hormah
• Spy
• Wars of the Lord, The Book of the
• Arad

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