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UTN uW Translation Notes:

Numbers 21 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

3. From Kadesh to the plains of Moab (20:1–21:35) * Battle at Hormah (21:1–3) * The fiery serpents (21:4–9) * The Israelites travel east of the Jordan River (21:10–20) * The Israelites defeat Sihon and Og (21:21–35)In this chapter, the Israelites travel from Mount Hor to Bashan. Along the way, they defeat the king of Arad, king Sihon, and king Og. They also complain against God and Moses, and God punishes them with serpents.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

The bronze serpent

In 21:4–9, the author narrates how the Israelites complained, and God punished them by sending venomous snakes that bit them. When the Israelites ask for forgiveness and help, Yahweh has Moses create a model of a serpent made from bronze. When any Israelite had been bitten by a snake, he or she could look at the model and would recover. The author does not explain how this works, so your translation also should not state that explicitly.

Citations of poetry

In this chapter, the author cites parts of three different pieces of poetry. Each citation supports a claim that the author has made. In 21:14–15, the citation proves that the Arnon River is the border for Moab. In 21:17–18, the citation identifies which story about a well the author is speaking about. In 21:27–30, the citation proves that Sihon captured Heshbon and its territory from the Moabites. It may also prove that the Israelites defeated Sihon. Consider how you might naturally introduce and format citations of poetry that support claims the author is making. (See: writing-quotations and writing-poetry)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

The Book of the Wars of Yahweh

In 21:14–15, the author cites a small section of “The Book of the Wars of Yahweh.” This quotation is mostly names of places, and it does not include a main verb. The author probably cites it because it identifies the Arnon River as the border of Moab. Consider how you might naturally quote a small, incomplete section of a larger piece of poetry.

The song of the well

In 21:17–18, the author quotes a song (or part of a song) that the Israelites sang when God provided water for them at a well. The song must have been well-known enough that it helped the readers identify which well this was. Consider how you might introduce a quote from a well-known song.

The Song of Heshbon

In 21:27–30, the author quotes from a song that is sometimes called The Song of Heshbon. It is not clear if this is the whole song. Scholars debate whether this song was sung to celebrate the Amorites defeating the Moabites or the Israelites defeating the Amorites. It is also possible that verses 27–29 celebrated the Amorites defeating the Moabites, and verse 30 celebrated the Israelites defeating the Amorites. In any of these cases, the song proves that Sihon took over the territory of the Moabites, including Heshbon. So, when the Israelites defeated Sihon, they gained all this territory. See the notes on these verses for specific translation issues.

Parallel NUM 21:0