Numbers 21:2
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So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The armies of Israel now begin to emerge out of the wilderness, and to come into a land inhabited, to enter upon action, and take possession of the frontiers of the land of promise. A glorious campaign this chapter gives us the history of, especially in the latter part of it. Here is, I. The defeat of Arad the Canaanite (Num 21:1-3). II. The chastisement of the people with fiery serpents for their murmurings, and the relief granted them upon their submission by a brazen serpent (Num 21:4-9). III. Several marches forward, and some occurrences by the way (Num 21:10-20). IV. The celebrated conquest of Sihon king of the Amorites (Num 21:21-32), and of Og king of Bashan (Num 21:33-35), and possession taken of their land.
Open source ↗21:2-3 completely destroy (Hebrew kharam): Israel was instructed to completely destroy their enemies and their enemies’ property (see Lev 27:28-29; Deut 7:2; 20:17; Josh 6–7; 10:1–11:23). • This battle reflects a play on words between kharam and Hormah (Hebrew khormah, Num 21:3). It marks a turning point in Israel’s interaction with the Canaanites, who remained a formidable enemy throughout the period of the conquest.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear,
Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,
At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people,
you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.
how he swore an oath to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent.
If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!