Numbers 21:1
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.
Numbers 21:1 in other translations
| BSB | When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners. |
|---|---|
| WEB | The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. |
| ASV | And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. |
| YLT | And the Canaanite--king Arad--dwelling in the south, heareth that Israel hath come the way of the Atharim, and he fighteth against Israel, and taketh some of them captive. |
| DARBY | And the Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim, and he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. |
| BBE | And it came to the ears of the Canaanite, the king of Arad, living in the South, that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, and he came out against them and took some of them prisoners. |
| Webster | And when king Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. |
What does Numbers 21:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Nu 21:1-35. Israel Attacked by the Canaanites.
1. 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: "Came by the way of Atharim towards Arad" [Kennicott]. he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners--This discomfiture was permitted to teach them to expect the conquest of Canaan not from their own wisdom and valor, but solely from the favor and help of God (De 9:4; Psa 44:3, 4).Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
Arad, a king of the Canaanites, attacks Israel, and makes same prisoners, Num 21:1. They devote him and his people to destruction, Num 21:2; which they afterwards accomplished, Num 21:3. They journey from Hor, and are greatly discouraged, Num 21:4. They murmur against God and Moses, and loathe the manna, Num 21:5. The Lord sends fiery serpents among them, Num 21:6. They repent, and beg Moses to intercede for them, Num 21:7. The Lord directs him to make a brazen serpent, and set it on a pole, that the people might look on it and be healed, Num 21:8. Moses does so, and the people who beheld the brazen serpent lived, Num 21:9. They journey to Oboth, Ije-abarim, Zared, and Arnon, Num 21:10-13. A quotation from the book of the wars of the Lord, Num 21:14, Num 21:15. From Arnon they came to Beer, Num 21:16. Their song of triumph, Num 21:17-20. Moses sends messengers to the Amorites for permission to pass through their land, Num 21:21, Num 21:22. Sihon their king refuses, attacks Israel, is defeated, and all his cities destroyed, Num 21:23-26. The poetic proverbs made on the occasion, Num 21:27-30. Israel possesses the land of the Amorites, Num 21:31, Num 21:32. They are attacked by Og king of Bashan, Num 21:33. They defeat him, destroy his troops and family, and possess his land, Num 21:34, Num 21:35. Verse 1 The 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.Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 21:1-3
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Numbers 21:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Numbers 21:1
- Numbers 33:40
And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.
- Judges 1:16
And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
- Joshua 12:14
The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
- Joshua 7:5
And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
- Numbers 14:45
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
- Psalms 44:3-4
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
- Deuteronomy 2:32
Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.
- Numbers 13:21-22
So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
- Joshua 11:19-20
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4 The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents.
7 They repenting are healed by a brazen serpent.
10 Sundry journeys of the Israelites.
21 Sihon is overcome,
33 and Og.
Arad.
33:40; Jos 12:14; Jud 1:16
the way of the spies.Dr. Kennicott remarks, that the word {atharim,} rendered spies in our version, is in the Greek a proper name ([Atharein,] Atharim).
13:21,22; 14:45
then.
De 2:32; Jos 7:5; 11:19,20; Ps 44:3,4
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Numbers 21:1
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.
- Numbers 21:2
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.
Numbers 21:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y OYENDO el Cananeo, el rey de Arad, el cual habitaba al mediodía, que venía Israel por el camino de los centinelas, peleó con Israel, y tomó de él presa. |
|---|---|
| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | *Et le Cananéen, le roi d’Arad, qui habitait le midi, entendit qu’Israël venait par le chemin d’Atharim, et il combattit contre Israël, et lui emmena des prisonniers. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und der Kanaaniter, der König von Arad, der im Süden wohnte, hörte, daß Israel des Weges nach Atharim kam, und er stritt wider Israel und führte Gefangene von ihm hinweg. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Quod cum audisset Chananæus rex Arad, qui habitabat ad meridiem, venisse scilicet Israël per exploratorum viam, pugnavit contra illum, et victor existens, duxit ex eo prædam. |