1
The king of Arad, the Canaanite who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.
2
Then Israel made a vow to the LORD, saying, “If You will indeed give this people into our hand, we will utterly destroy their cities.”
3
The LORD listened to the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Therefore the place was named Hormah.
4
Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient on the journey.
5
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to die in this wilderness? For there is no bread and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”
6
Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many of the Israelites died.
7
The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
9
So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
10
Then the Israelites set out and camped at Oboth.
11
They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness east of Moab.
12
From there they set out and camped in the valley of Zered.
13
From there they set out and camped beyond the Arnon, in the wilderness that extends from the territory of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
14
Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD:
“Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,
15
and the slope of the valleys that extends to the site of Ar and leans against the border of Moab.”
16
From there they went to Beer. This is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”
17
At that time Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well! Sing to it!
The well that the princes dug,
18
which the nobles of the people dug
with the scepters of the rulers, with their staffs.”
And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah;
19
from Mattanah to Nahaliel; from Nahaliel to Bamoth;
20
from Bamoth to the valley in the region of Moab, near the top of Pisgah, which looks out over the wilderness.
21
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, with this message:
22
“Let us pass through your land; we will not turn aside into your fields or your vineyards, we will not drink water from your wells; we will go along the king’s highway until we have passed through your territory.”
23
But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. Instead, he gathered all his army, went out into the wilderness to meet Israel, and when he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.
24
But Israel struck him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River, as far as the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong.
25
And Israel captured all these cities, and settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its towns.
26
For Heshbon was the city where Sihon, king of the Amorites, lived; this king had formerly fought against the former king of Moab and taken from his hand all his land as far as the Arnon River.
27
Therefore the poets say:
“Come to Heshbon; let it be built,
and let the city of Sihon be established!
28
For fire went out from Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon,
which consumed Ar of Moab,
the rulers of the heights along the Arnon.
29
Woe to you, O Moab;
you are undone, O people of Chemosh!
He has made his sons fugitives,
and his daughters captives
to Sihon, king of the Amorites.
30
We have shot at them; Heshbon is destroyed as far as Dibon,
and we have laid waste even to Nophah, which reaches to Medeba.”
31
Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.
32
After Moses sent men to spy out Jazer, they captured its towns and drove out the Amorites who were there.
33
Then they turned and went up toward Bashan. And Og, king of Bashan, came out against them with all his people to Edrei, to meet them in battle.
34
But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”
35
So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, so that none of them was left alive; and they took possession of his land.
🐍⛏️🛡️ Summary of Numbers 21 – From the Bronze Serpent to the Nation’s Victory
Numbers 21 shows a great transition: the people of Israel move from failure to victory.
This chapter includes:
- Military victory,
- The sin of the people that brought fiery serpents, and
- A saving act through the bronze serpent,
as well as victories in the region of Moab and around it.
📌 1. Victory over Arad (verses 1–3)
- The king of Arad attacked Israel and captured some people.
- The people of Israel made a vow to the Lord:
“If You will indeed deliver this people into our hand, we will utterly destroy their cities.”
- The Lord heard and gave victory.
That place was named Hormah (destruction).
🎯 Victory comes when Israel surrenders and pledges faithfulness to the Lord.
📌 2. The Fiery Serpents and the Bronze Serpent (verses 4–9)
- On the detour from Mount Hor to the Red Sea, the people again grumbled:
“There is no bread and no water… and we are disgusted with this worthless food (manna).”
- The Lord sent fiery serpents that killed many people.
- After the people repented, the Lord commanded Moses:
“Make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Everyone who looks at it will live.”
- Moses made a bronze serpent, and whoever looked at it in faith was healed from the bite.
🎯 Salvation comes not by human effort, but by faith in God’s plan.
📌 3. Journey and Song in the Wilderness (verses 10–20)
- Israel continued moving through several places: Oboth, Abarim, Zered, Arnon.
- They sang a song of praise about the water well that the Lord gave:
“Spring up, O well! Sing to it!”
📖 Signs of the restoration of faith began to appear in the new generation.
📌 4. Victory over Sihon and Og (verses 21–35)
- Israel asked permission to pass through the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites.
Sihon refused and attacked, but Israel defeated him. - They also defeated Og, king of Bashan, and captured his cities.
🎯 The new generation began to experience victory because of obedience and courage in the Lord.
📖 Main Teaching
- Complaining and unbelief still bring judgment, even in the new generation.
- The Lord provides salvation even in His wrath, through a way that tests faith (the bronze serpent).
- Looking to the Lord (not to oneself) is the way out of the punishment of sin.
- After repentance and faith, the people begin to experience victory after victory.
- Song and praise are signs that the people are beginning to live in faith, not complaint.
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
- The bronze serpent is a symbol of Christ crucified:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up…” (John 3:14–15)
→ so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
- The serpent = symbol of sin, and bronze = judgment.
Christ bore sin upon the cross, so that everyone who believes may be saved. - Israel prevailed when they believed and obeyed — likewise we prevail in spiritual life if we live by faith, not by complaint.
