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Victory over the Canaanites

21 The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners. Then the people of Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy[a] all their towns.” The Lord heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah[b] ever since.

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Footnotes

  1. 21:2 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in 21:3.
  2. 21:3 Hormah means “destruction.”

The Destruction of Hormah

21 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev,[a] heard that Israel was coming along the Atharim caravan route, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive. Then Israel[b] made this vow in the Lord’s presence: “If you give these people into our control,[c] we intend to devote their cities to total destruction.” When the Lord heard what Israel had decided to do,[d] he delivered the Canaanites to them, and Israel[e] exterminated them and their cities. They named the place Hormah.[f]

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 21:1 I.e. the southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
  2. Numbers 21:2 I.e. the Israelis personified as a nation
  3. Numbers 21:2 Lit. hand
  4. Numbers 21:3 Lit. heard the voice of Israel
  5. Numbers 21:3 Lit. he
  6. Numbers 21:3 The Heb. name Hormah sounds like the Heb. verb devoted