Numbers

Extermination

When the Canaanite king of Arad, in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he attacked Israel. He took some prisoners.

Then Israel made this vow to the Lord:

“If you put these people into my hand, I will consecrate their towns by anathema.”

The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered the Canaanites into their hands. They were wiped out, and their towns were destroyed according to the anathema. Because of this, that place was named Hormah.

Snakes

From Mount Hor, they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey

and began to complain against God and Moses:

“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here, and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.”

The Lord then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people, and many of the Israelites died.

Then the people came to Moses and said:

“We have sinned, speaking against the Lord and you. Plead with the Lord to take the serpents away.”

Moses pleaded for the people,

and the Lord said:

“Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.”

So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and lived.

Various Stages and Victories

Israel Itinerary

The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth,

Then they left Oboth and camped toward the sunrise at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that borders Moab.

They set out from there and camped in the valley of Jered.

They set out from there and camped beyond the Arnon. This valley in the desert begins in the land of the Amorites and lies on the border of Moab, separating the Moabites from the Amorites.

Because of this, it is written in the Book of the Wars of the Lord: Waheb, by Suphah, and the Valley of Arnon

and the slope of the ravine that runs down to Ar along the border of Moab.

From there, they went on to Beer. This is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Call the people together, and I will give them water.”

Then Israel sang this song:

“Let the water spring!

Sing out for the well;

the well sunk by princes,

that the nobles of the people dug,

with the scepter. With the staff.”

From the desert, to Mattanah;

from Mattanah to Nahaliel; from Nahaliel to Bamoth;

from Bamoth to the valley that gives on to the region of Moab, toward the heights of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.

Victory Over Sihon

Israel sent this message to Sihon, king of the Amorites:

“We want to pass through your land. We will not cross any fields or vineyards and will not drink water from the wells. We will keep to the king’s road until we leave your land.”

But Sihon refused to let Israel pass through his land. He gathered all his people, marched into the desert to meet Israel, and reached Jahaz. There, he fought against Israel.

But Israel struck him down and conquered his country from the Arnon to the Jabbok, the frontier of the Amorites, because this frontier was well-defended.

Israel occupied all the cities and towns of the Amorites, including Heshbon and all its dependencies.

Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and captured from him all this territory as far as the Arnon.

Because of this, the poets continue singing:

“Courage, Heshbon, city of Sihon,

well-built and well-founded!

Fire came out of Heshbon,

a flame from Sihon.

It devoured Ar of Moab and the Baals

of the high places of Moab.

Woe to you, Moab!

You are lost, people of Chemosh!

Your sons have fled;

your daughters were taken captive.

So their prosperity perished

from  Heshbon to Dibon,

and we laid waste until fire spread to Medeba.”

Victory Over Og

Israelites settled in the country of the Amorites.

Moses sent spies to explore Jazer. Israel took this city with all the towns depending on it, and the Amorites who lived there were evicted.

After that, the Israelites turned and went up to Bashan. Og, king of Bashan, set out with all his people to meet them and gave them battle in Edrei.

Then the Lord said to Moses:

“Do not be afraid of him, for I have given him into your hands with all his people and his land. You shall deal with him as you did with Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”

The Israelites killed him, his sons, and all his people to the last. And they took possession of his land.