Chapter 21:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
Numbers 21
The defect of Arad, ver. 1-3. The people murmur and are
plagued with fiery serpents, ver. 4-6. They are healed by looking
on the brazen serpent, ver. 7-9. They journey forward, ver. 10-20.
Conquer Sihon, ver. 21-31. And Og, ver. 33-35.
Verse 1. King Arad - Or rather, the Canaanite King of Arad: for Arad is
not the name of a man, but of a city or territory. And he seems to
be called a Canaanite in a general sense, as the Amorites and
others. The south - Of Canaan, towards the east, and near the dead
sea. Of the spies - Not of those spies which Moses sent to spy the
land, for that was done thirty eight years before this, and they
went so privately, that the Canaanites took no notice of them, nor
knew which way they came or went; but of the spies which he
himself sent out to observe the marches and motions of the
Israelites. Took some of them prisoners - Which God permitted
for Israel's humiliation, and to teach them not to expect the
conquest of that land from their own wisdom or valour.
Verse 2. I will utterly destroy them - I will reserve no person or thing for
my own use, but devote them all to total destruction.
Verse 3. They utterly destroyed them - Neither Moses nor the whole
body of the people did this but a select number sent out to punish
that king and people, who were so fierce and malicious that they
came out of their own country to fight with the Israelites in the
wilderness; and these, when they had done this work, returned to
their brethren into the wilderness. But why did they not all now go
into Canaan, and pursue this victory? Because God would not
permit it, there being several works yet to be done, other people
must be conquered, the Israelites must be farther humbled and
tried and purged, Moses must die, and then they shall enter, and
that in a more glorious manner, even over Jordan, which shall be
miraculously dried up, to give them passage. Hormah - That is,
utter destruction.
Verse 4. By way of the Red-sea - Which leadeth to the Red-sea, as they
must needs do to compass the land of Edom. Because of the way -
By reason of this journey, which was long and troublesome, and
unexpected, because the successful entrance and victorious
progress which some of them had made in the borders of Canaan,
made them think they might have speedily gone in and taken
possession of it, and so have saved the tedious travels and farther
difficulties, into which Moses had again brought them.
Verse 5. Against God - Against Christ, their chief conductor, whom they
tempted, 1 Cor. x, 19. Thus contemptuously did they speak of
Manna, whereas it appears it yielded excellent nourishment,
because in the strength of it they were able to go so many and
such tedious journeys.
Verse 6. Fiery serpents - There were many such in this wilderness,
which having been hitherto restrained by God, are now let loose
and sent among them. They are called fiery from their effects,
because their poison caused an intolerable heat and burning and
thirst, which was aggravated with this circumstance of the place,
that here was no water, ver. 5.
Verse 8. A fiery serpent - That is, the figure of a serpent in brass, which
is of a fiery colour. This would require some time: God would not
speedily take off the judgment, because he saw they were not
throughly humbled. Upon a pole - That the people might see it
from all parts of the camp, and therefore the pole must be high,
and the serpent large. When he looketh -This method of cure was
prescribed, that it might appear to be God's own work, and not the
effect of nature or art: and that it might be an eminent type of our
salvation by Christ. The serpent signified Christ, who was in the
likeness of sinful flesh, though without sin, as this brazen serpent
had the outward shape, but not the inward poison, of the other
serpents: the pole resembled the cross upon which Christ was
lifted up for our salvation: and looking up to it designed our
believing in Christ.
Verse 9. He lived - He was delivered from death, and cured of his
disease.
Verse 10. In Oboth - Not immediately, but after two other stations
mentioned, chap. xxxiii, 43, 44.
Verse 12. The valley of Zared - Or rather, by the brook of Zared, which
ran into the dead sea.
Verse 13. On the other side - Or rather, on this side of Arnon, for so it
now was to the Israelites, who had not yet passed over it. Between
Moab and the Amorites - Though formerly it and the land beyond
it belonged to Moab, yet afterwards it had been taken from them
by Sihon. This is added to reconcile two seemingly contrary
commands of God, the one that of not meddling with the land of
the Moabites, Deut. ii, 9, the other that of going over Arnon and
taking possession of the land beyond it, Deut. ii, 24, because, saith
he, it is not now the land of the Moabites, but of the Amorites.
Verse 14. The book of the wars of the Lord - This seems to have been
some poem or narration of the wars and victories of the Lord,
either by: or relating to the Israelites: which may be asserted
without any prejudice to the integrity of the holy scripture,
because this book doth not appear to have been written by a
prophet, er to be designed for a part of the canon, which yet
Moses might quote, as St. Paul doth some of the heathen poets.
And as St. Luke assures us, that many did write an history of the
things done, and said by Christ, Luke i, 1, whose writings were
never received as canonical, the like may be conceived
concerning this and some few other books mentioned in the old
testament. The brooks - The brook, the plural number for the
singular, as the plural number rivers is used concerning Jordan,
Psalm 7iv, 15, and concerning Tigris, Nahum ii, 6, and concerning
Euphrates, Psalm 1xxxvii, 1, all which may be to called because
of the several little streams into which they were divided.
Verse 15. Ar - A chief city in Moab.
Verse 16. Beer - This place and Mattanah, Nahaliel, and Bamoth named
here, ver. 19, are not mentioned among those places where they
pitched or encamped, chap. xxxiii, 1-49. Probably they did not
pitch or encamp in these places, but only pass by or through them.
I will give them water - In a miraculous manner. Before they
prayed, God granted, and prevented them with the blessings of
goodness. And as the brasen serpent was the figure of Christ, so is
this well a figure of the spirit, who is poured forth for our comfort,
and from him flow rivers of living waters.
Verse 17. Spring up - Hebrew. ascend, that is, let thy waters, which now
lie hid below in the earth, ascend for our use. It is either a
prediction that it should spring up, or a prayer that it might.
Verse 18. With their staves - Probably as Moses smote the rock with his
rod, so they struck the earth with their staves, as a sign that God
would cause the water to flow out of the earth where they smote
it, as he did before out of the rock. Perhaps they made holes with
their staves in the sandy ground, and God caused the water
immediately to spring up.
Verse 20. Pisgah - This was the top of those high hills of Abarim.
Verse 21. Sent messengers - By God's allowance, that so Sihon's malice
might be the more evident and inexcusable, and their title to his
country more clear in the judgment of all men, as being gotten by
a just war, into which they were forced for their own defense.
Verse 22. Let me pass - They spoke what they seriously intended and
would have done, if he had given them quiet passage.
Verse 24. From Arnon - Or, which reached from Arnon; and so here is a
description or limitation of Sihon's conquest and kingdom, that is,
extended only from Arnon, unto the children of Ammon; and then
the following words, for the border of the children of Ammon was
strong, come in very fitly, not as a reason why the Israelites did
not conquer the Ammonites, for they were absolutely forbidden to
meddle with them, Deut. iii, 8, but as a reason why Sihon could
not enlarge his conquests to the Ammonites, as he had done to the
Moabites. Jabbok - A river by which the countries of Ammon and
Moab were in part bounded and divided. Strong - Either by the
advantage of the river, or by their strong holds in their frontiers.
Verse 26. Was the city of Sihon - This is added as a reason why Israel
took possession of this land, because it was not now the land of
the Moabites, but in the possession of the Amorites. The former
king -The predecessor of Balak, who was the present king. See the
wisdom of providence, which prepares long before, for the
accomplishing God's purposes in their season! This country being
designed for Israel, is before-hand put into the hand of the
Amorites, who little think they have it but as trustees, till Israel
comes of age. We understand not the vast reaches of providence:
but known unto God are all his works!
Verse 27. In Proverbs - The poets or other ingenious persons, of the
Amorites or Canaanites, who made this following song of triumph
over the vanquished Moabites: which is here brought in, as a
proof that this was now Sihon's land, and as an evidence of the
just judgment of God in spoiling the spoilers, and subduing those
who insulted over their conquered enemies. Come into Heshbon -
These are the words either of Sihon speaking to his people, or of
the people exhorting one another to come and possess the city
which they had taken. Of Sihon - That which once was the royal
city of the king of Moab, but now is the city of Sihon.
Verse 28. A fire - The fury of war, which is fitly compared to fire. Out
of Heshbon - That city which before was a refuge and defense to
all the country, now is turned into a great annoyance. It hath
consumed Ar -This may be understood not of the city Ar, but of
the people or the country subject or belonging to that great and
royal city. The lords of the high places - The princes or governors
of the strong holds, which were frequently in high places,
especially in that mountainous country, and which were in divers
parts all along the river Arnon. So the Amorites triumphed over
the vanquished Moabites. But the triumphing of the wicked is
short!
Verse 29. People of Chemosh - The worshippers of Chemosh: so the
God of the Moabites was called. He, that is, their God, hath
delivered up his own people to his and their enemies; nor could he
secure even those that had escaped the sword, but suffered them
to be carried into captivity. The words of this and the following
verse seem to be not a part of that triumphant song made, by some
Amoritish poet, which seems to be concluded, ver. 28, but of the
Israelites making their observation upon it. And here they scoff at
the impotency not only of the Moabites, but of their God also,
who could not save his people from the sword of Sihon and the
Amorites.
Verse 30. Though you feeble Moabites, and your God too, could not
resist Sihon, we Israelites, by the help of our God, have shot, with
success and victory, at them, at Sihon and his Amorites. Heshbon
- The royal city of Sihon, and by him lately repaired, Is perished -
Is taken away from Sihon, and so is all his country, even as far as
Dibon.
Verse 32. Jaazer - One of the cities of Moab formerly taken from them
by Sihon, and now taken from him by the Israelites.
Verse 33. Og - Who also was a king of the Amorites. And it may seem
that Sihon and Og were the leaders or captains of two great
colonies which came out of Canaan, and drove out the former
inhabitants of these places. Bashan - A rich country, famous for
its pastures and breed of cattle, and for its oaks.
Chapter 21:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Leviticus Deuteronomy
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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