1 Καὶ ἤκουσεν ὁ Χανανεὶς βασιλεὺς Ἀρὰδ ὁ κατοικῶν κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον, ὅτι ἦλθεν Ἰσραὴλ ὁδὸν Ἀθαρεὶν, καὶ ἐπολέμησε πρὸς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ κατεπροενόμευσεν ἐξ αὐτῶν αἰχμαλωσίαν. 2 Καὶ ηὔξατο Ἰσραὴλ εὐχὴν Κυρίῳ, καὶ εἶπεν, ἐάν μοι παραδῷς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ὑποχείριον, ἀναθεματιῶ αὐτὸν καὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτοῦ. 3 Καὶ εἰσήκουσε Κύριος τῆς φωνῆς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ παρέδωκε τὸν Χανανεὶν ὑποχείριον αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀνεθεμάτισεν αὐτὸν, καὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπεκάλεσαν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου, Ἀνάθεμα. 4 Καὶ ἀπάραντες ἐξ Ὢρ τοῦ ὄρους ὁδὸν ἐπὶ θάλασσαν ἐρυθρᾶν, περιεκύκλωσαν γῆν Ἐδώμ· καὶ ὠλιγοψύχησεν ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ. 5 Καὶ κατελάλει ὁ λαὸς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ κατὰ Μωυσῆ, λέγοντες, ἱνατί τοῦτο; ἐξήγαγες ἡμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ; ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄρτος, οὐδὲ ὕδωρ· ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν προσώχθισεν ἐν τῷ ἄρτῳ τῷ διακένῳ τούτῳ. 6 Καὶ ἀπέστειλε Κύριος εἰς τὸν λαὸν τοὺς ὄφεις τοὺς θανατοῦντας, καὶ ἔδακνον τὸν λαόν, καὶ ἀπέθανε λαὸς πολὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. 7 Καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ λαὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν, ἔλεγον, ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν, ὅτι κατελαλήσαμεν κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ κατὰ σοῦ· εὔξαι οὖν πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ ἀφελέτω ἀφʼ ἡμῶν τὸν ὄφιν. 8 Καὶ ηὔξατο Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ· καὶ εἰπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν, ποίησον σεαυτῷ ὄφιν, καὶ θὲς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σημείου, καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν δάκῃ ὄφις ἄνθρωπον, πᾶς ὁ δεδηγμένος ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ζήσεται. 9 Καὶ ἐποίησε Μωυσῆς ὄφιν χαλκοῦν, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σημείου· καὶ ἐγένετο ὅταν ἔδακνεν ὄφις ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τὸν ὄφιν τὸν χαλκοῦν, καὶ ἔζη. 10 Καὶ ἀπῇραν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν Ὠβώθ. 11 Καὶ ἐξάραντες ἐξ Ὠβὼθ, καὶ παρενέβαλον ἐν Ἀχαλγαὶ ἐκ τοῦ πέραν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἥ ἐστι κατὰ πρόσωπον Μωὰβ, κατʼ ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου. 12 Καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἀπῇραν, καὶ παρενέβαλον εἰς φάραγγα Ζαρέδ. 13 Καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἀπάραντες παρενέβαλον εἰς τὸ πέραν Ἀρνῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, τὸ ἐξέχον ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων· ἔστι γὰρ Ἀρνῶν ὅρια Μωὰβ, ἀναμέσον Μωὰβ καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ Ἀμοῤῥαίου. 14 Διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται ἐν βιβλίῳ, πόλεμος τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν Ζωὸβ ἐφλόγισε, καὶ τοὺς χιμάῤῥους Ἀρνῶν. 15 Καὶ τοὺς χιμάῤῥους κατέστησε κατοικίσαι Ἤρ· καὶ πρόσκειται τοῖς ὁρίοις Μωάβ. 16 Καὶ ἐκεῖθεν τὸ φρέαρ· τοῦτο φρέαρ, ὃ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν, συνάγαγε τὸν λαὸν, καὶ δώσω αὐτοῖς ὕδωρ πιεῖν. 17 Τότε ᾖσεν Ἰσραὴλ τὸ ἆσμα τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῦ φρέατος, ἐξάρχετε αὐτῷ φρέαρ, 18 ὤρυξαν αὐτὸ ἄρχοντες, ἐξελατόμησαν αὐτὸ βασιλεῖς ἐθνῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτῶν, ἐν τῷ κυριεῦσαι αὐτῶν· 19 καὶ ἀπὸ φρέατος εἰς Μανθαναεὶν, καὶ ἀπὸ Μανθαναεὶν εἰς Νααλιὴλ, καὶ ἀπὸ Νααλιὴλ εἰς Βαμὼθ, καὶ ἀπὸ Βαμὼθ εἰς Ἰανὴν, ἥ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ Μωὰβ, ἀπὸ κορυφῆς τοῦ λελαξευμένου, τὸ βλέπον κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς ἐρήμου. 20 Καὶ ἀπέστειλε Μωυσῆς πρέαβεις πρὸς Σηὼν βασιλέα Ἀμοῤῥαίων, λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς, λέγων, 21 παρελευσόμεθα διὰ τῆς γῆς σου, τῇ ὁδῷ πορευσόμεθα· οὐκ ἐκκλινοῦμεν οὔτε εἰς ἀγρὸν, οὔτε εἰς ἀμπελῶνα· 22 Οὐ πιόμεθα ὕδωρ ἐκ φρέατός σου· ὁδῷ βασιλικῇ παρευσόμεθα, ἕως παρέλθωμεν τὰ ὅριά σου. 23 Καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκε Σηὼν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ παρελθεῖν διὰ τῶν ὁρίων αὐτοῦ· καὶ συνήγαγε Σηὼν πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξῆλθε παρατάξασθαι τῷ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον· καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ἰασσὰ, καὶ παρετάξατο τῷ Ἰσραήλ. 24 Καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν Ἰσραὴλ φόνῳ μαχαίρης, καὶ κατεκυρίευσαν τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ Ἀρνῶν ἕως Ἰαβὸκ, ἕως υἱῶν Ἀμμὰν, ὅτι Ἰαζὴρ ὅρια υἱῶν Ἀμμάν ἐστι. 25 Καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἰσραὴλ πάσας τὰς πόλεις ταύτας, καὶ κατῷκησεν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσι τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων, ἐν Ἑσεβὼν, καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς συγκυρούσαις αὐτῇ. 26 Ἔστι γὰρ Ἐσεβὼν, πόλις Σηὼν τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων ἐστίν· καὶ οὗτος ἐπολέμησε βασιλέα Μωὰβ τὸ πρότερον· καὶ ἔλαβον πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ Ἀροὴρ ἕως Ἀρνῶν. 27 Διὰ τοῦτο ἐροῦσιν οἱ αἰνιγματισταὶ, ἔλθετε εἰς Ἐσεβὼν, ἵνα οἰκοδομηθῇ καὶ κατασκευασθῇ πόλις Σηών· 28 ὅτι πῦρ ἐξῆλθεν ἐξ Ἑσεβὼν, φλὸξ ἐκ πόλεως Σηὼν, καὶ κατέφαγεν ἕως Μωὰβ, καὶ κατέπιε στήλας Ἀρνῶν. 29 Οὐαί σοι Μωὰβ, ἀπώλου λαὸς Χαμώς· ἀπεδόθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν διασώζεσθαι, καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῶν αἰχμάλωτοι τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων Σηὼν, 30 καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται, Ἑσεβὼν ἕως Δαιβών· καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες ἔτι προσεξέκαυσαν πῦρ ἐπὶ Μωάβ. 31 Κατῴκησε δὲ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσι τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων. 32 Καὶ ἀπέστειλε Μωυσῆς κατασκέψασθαι τὴν Ἰαζήρ· καὶ κατελάβοντο αὐτὴν, καὶ τὰς κώμας αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐξέβαλον τὸν Ἀμοῤῥαῖον τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐκεῖ. 33 Καὶ ἐπιστρέψαντες, ἀνέβησαν ὁδὸν τὴν εἰς Βασάν· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ὢγ βασιλεὺς τῆς Βασὰν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς αὐτοῦ εἰς πόλεμον εἰς Ἐδραείν. 34 Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν, μὴ φοβηθῇς αὐτὸν, ὅτι εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου παραδέδωκα αὐτὸν, καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ποιήσεις αὐτῷ καθὼς ἐποίησας τῷ Σηὼν βασιλεῖ τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων, ὃς κατῴκει ἐν Ἑσεβών. 35 Καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ἕως τοῦ μὴ καταλιπεῖν αὐτοῦ ζωγρείαν· καὶ ἐκληρονόμησαν τὴν γῆν αὐτον.
Numbers · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Numbers 21 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Og
The king of Bashan, last of the remnant of the Rephaim, who came out against Israel at Edrei and was struck down with his sons and his whole army.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 21:33–35; Deuteronomy 3:1; Deuteronomy 3:11
Sihon
The Amorite king who reigned in Heshbon, refused to let Israel pass through his land, fought Israel at Jahaz, and lost his territory from the Arnon to the Jabbok.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 21:21; Numbers 21:23–24; Deuteronomy 2:26
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 33:40; Judges 1:16; Joshua 12:14; Joshua 7:5; Numbers 14:45
- 2 Judges 11:30; Genesis 28:20; 1 Samuel 1:11; Joshua 6:26; 2 Samuel 15:7–8
- 3 Numbers 14:45; Deuteronomy 1:44; Psalm 91:15; Psalm 102:17; Psalm 10:17
- 4 Exodus 6:9; Judges 11:18; Acts 14:22; Numbers 32:7; Numbers 32:9
- 5 Psalm 78:19; Exodus 17:2–3; Numbers 16:41; Numbers 16:13–14; Exodus 14:11
- 6 1 Corinthians 10:9; Deuteronomy 8:15; Jeremiah 8:17; Amos 9:3–4; Isaiah 30:6
- 7 Acts 8:24; Psalm 78:34; Exodus 8:8; Numbers 11:2; Exodus 8:28
- 8 John 3:14; Psalm 106:43–45; Psalm 145:8
- 9 John 3:14–15; Hebrews 12:2; John 6:40; 2 Kings 18:4; John 12:32
- 10 Numbers 33:43–45
- 12 Deuteronomy 2:13–14
- 13 Judges 11:18; Numbers 22:36; Isaiah 16:2; Numbers 21:14; Jeremiah 48:20
- 14 Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18
- 15 Numbers 21:28; Deuteronomy 2:18; Deuteronomy 2:9; Deuteronomy 2:29; Isaiah 15:1
- 16 Numbers 20:8; Isaiah 41:17–18; Isaiah 12:3; Judges 9:21; Revelation 22:17
- 17 Psalm 105:2; Judges 5:1; Psalm 106:12; James 5:13; Isaiah 12:1–2
- 18 Isaiah 33:22; Deuteronomy 33:4; Deuteronomy 5:31; James 4:12; John 1:17
- 20 Numbers 23:28; Numbers 23:14; Numbers 22:1; Numbers 33:49–50; Numbers 26:63
- 21 Deuteronomy 2:26–28; Judges 11:19–21; Numbers 20:14–19
- 22 Numbers 20:17
- 23 Judges 11:20; Deuteronomy 29:7–8; Jeremiah 48:34; Numbers 20:21; Deuteronomy 2:30–32
- 24 Amos 2:9; Nehemiah 9:22; Genesis 32:22; Joshua 24:8; Psalm 136:19
- 25 Deuteronomy 2:12; Ezekiel 16:53; Jeremiah 48:34; Numbers 21:31; Song of Songs 7:4
- 27 Isaiah 14:4; Habakkuk 2:6; Numbers 21:14
- 28 Numbers 21:15; Jeremiah 48:45–46; Amos 2:2; Numbers 22:41; Amos 1:14
- 29 2 Kings 23:13; Judges 11:24; Jeremiah 48:46; 1 Kings 11:7; 1 Kings 11:33
- 30 Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 48:18; Jeremiah 48:22; Numbers 32:34; Joshua 13:17
- 31 Deuteronomy 3:16–17; Joshua 12:1–6; Numbers 32:33–42; Joshua 13:8–12
- 32 Jeremiah 48:32; Numbers 32:1; Numbers 32:35; Numbers 32:3; Isaiah 16:8–9
- 33 Joshua 13:12; Deuteronomy 1:4; Deuteronomy 29:7; Deuteronomy 3:1–6; Numbers 32:33
- 34 Psalm 135:10–11; Numbers 21:24–25; Joshua 8:7; Deuteronomy 3:2–3; Judges 11:30
- 35 Deuteronomy 3:3–17; Joshua 12:4–6; Joshua 13:12; Psalm 135:10–12; Deuteronomy 29:7–8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… that Moses, by the inspiration and influence of God, took brass, and made it into the figure of a cross, and set it in the holy tabernacle, and said to the people, "If ye look to this figure, and believe, ye shall be saved thereby." And when this was done, it is recorded that the serpents died, and it is …
This was done: men were bitten; they looked and were healed. What are the biting serpents?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
This was the figure which Moses completed by fixing the serpent to a cross, that whoso had been bitten by the living serpent, and looked to the brasen serpent, might be saved by believing.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)