Numbers 21:1-3
Legacy Standard Bible
Destruction of Canaanite Cities
21 Then the Canaanite, the king of (A)Arad, who lived in the [a]Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of [b]Atharim, and he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2 So (B)Israel made a vow to Yahweh and said, “If You will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.” 3 Then Yahweh heard the voice of Israel and gave the Canaanites over; so they devoted them and their cities to destruction. Thus the name of the place was called [c](C)Hormah.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 21:1 South country
- Numbers 21:1 Or the spies
- Numbers 21:3 Lit a devoted thing, destruction
Numbers 21:1-3
New English Translation
Victory at Hormah
21 [a] When the Canaanite king of Arad[b] who lived in the Negev[c] heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.
2 So Israel made a vow[d] to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed deliver[e] this people into our[f] hand, then we will utterly destroy[g] their cities.” 3 The Lord listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites,[h] and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of the place was called[i] Hormah.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Numbers 21:1 sn This chapter has several events in it: the victory over Arad (vv. 1-3), the plague of serpents (vv. 4-9), the approach to Moab (vv. 10-20), and the victory over Sihon and Og (vv. 21-35). For information, see D. M. Gunn, “The ‘Battle Report’: Oral or Scribal Convention.” JBL 93 (1974): 513-18; and of the extensive literature on the archaeological site, see EAEHL 1:74-89.
- Numbers 21:1 sn The name Arad probably refers to a place a number of miles away from Tel Arad in southern Israel. The name could also refer to the whole region (like Edom).
- Numbers 21:1 tn Or “the south”; “Negev” has become a technical name for the southern desert region and is still in use in modern times.
- Numbers 21:2 tn The Hebrew text uses a cognate accusative with the verb: “Israel vowed a vow.” The Israelites were therefore determined with God’s help to defeat Arad.
- Numbers 21:2 tn The Hebrew text has the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense of נָתַן (natan) to stress the point—“if you will surely/indeed give.”
- Numbers 21:2 tn Heb “my.”
- Numbers 21:2 tn On the surface this does not sound like much of a vow. But the key is in the use of the verb for “utterly destroy”—חָרַם (kharam). Whatever was put to this “ban” or “devotion” belonged to God, either for his use or for destruction. The oath was in fact saying that they would take nothing from this for themselves. It would simply be the removal of what was alien to the faith or to God’s program.
- Numbers 21:3 tc Smr, Greek, and Syriac add “into his hand.”
- Numbers 21:3 tn In the Hebrew text the verb has no expressed subject, and so here too is made passive. The name “Hormah” is etymologically connected to the verb “utterly destroy,” forming the popular etymology (or paronomasia, a phonetic wordplay capturing the significance of the event).
Numbers 21:1-3
New International Version
Arad Destroyed
21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,(A) who lived in the Negev,(B) heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them. 2 Then Israel made this vow(C) to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy[a](D) their cities.” 3 The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites(E) over to them. They completely destroyed them(F) and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.[b](G)
Footnotes
- Numbers 21:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 3.
- Numbers 21:3 Hormah means destruction.
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