Numbers 21 2

Numbers 21:2 kjv

And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.

Numbers 21:2 nkjv

So Israel made a vow to the LORD, and said, "If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities."

Numbers 21:2 niv

Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities."

Numbers 21:2 esv

And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD and said, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction."

Numbers 21:2 nlt

Then the people of Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns."

Numbers 21 verses

Numbers 21 2 Meaning

Numbers 21:2 records Israel's collective pledge to God during a time of conflict. Under attack by the King of Arad, the Israelites made a solemn and conditional vow to the Lord. They promised that if God would grant them victory and deliver the enemy into their power, they would dedicate the enemies' cities to utter destruction. This vow invoked the principle of herem, an extreme form of consecration to God by destroying everything considered anathema, signifying complete devotion and judgment.

Numbers 21 2 Context

Numbers 21:2 takes place during Israel's lengthy wilderness journey, shortly after their detour around Edom and their discouraged complaints that led to the plague of fiery serpents. Just prior to this verse (Num 21:1), the King of Arad, a Canaanite ruler inhabiting the Negev region, heard of Israel's advance along the Atharim road. Sensing a threat, he initiated an attack on Israel, taking some of them captive. This aggressive action provoked Israel's desperate response to seek divine intervention. The vow recorded in verse 2 is Israel's direct reaction to this aggression, appealing to God for victory. This specific incident and the ensuing divine help resulted in the area being named "Hormah" (meaning "destruction" or "devoted place"), a name previously used, but now cemented by this event and its outcome (Num 21:3).

Numbers 21 2 Word analysis

• And Israel: Refers to the collective nation, emphasizing the unity of purpose in this solemn act. It signifies the people as a whole engaging in this spiritual and military commitment.
• vowed a vow: (Hebrew: neder nadar, נֶדֶר נָדַר) This phrase employs a cognate accusative, intensifying the action of "vowing." It signifies a highly deliberate, serious, and binding commitment or promise made to God, typically voluntary and in addition to mandated laws. Vows were often made in times of distress or to solicit divine favor.
• to the Lord: (Hebrew: la-YHWH, לַיהוָה) Clearly states the recipient of the vow as Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. This distinguishes the vow as a religious act directed towards the true and living God, not a pagan deity.
• and said: Implies a collective declaration, likely articulated by the leaders on behalf of the congregation. It signifies a public and corporate agreement to the terms of the vow.
• If thou wilt indeed deliver: (Hebrew: im naton titten, אִם־נָתֹן תִּתֵּן) This is a conditional clause ("if"), with the infinitive absolute naton emphasizing the certainty or intensity of the verb "deliver" (titten). It expresses Israel's condition for their reciprocal action, placing emphasis on the absolute certainty of divine action before their own. "Deliver" here means to grant victory, to hand over into their power.
• this people: Refers to the attacking Aradites/Canaanites. It specifies the intended target of their promised action.
• into my hand: A common biblical idiom signifying control, power, or victory over an enemy. It means "give them into my power" or "grant me victory over them."
• then I will utterly destroy: (Hebrew: ve-hacharimti, וְהַחֲרַמְתִּי) This is the Hiphil form of the verb charam (חָרַם), which is the root for the concept of herem. It means "to devote to destruction," "to ban," or "to utterly destroy." This isn't merely defeat; it's the consecration of something or someone to God through total annihilation. It removes the object entirely from common human use, making it 'holy' to the Lord through its destruction, usually to prevent ritual defilement or assimilation of pagan practices.
• their cities: Specifies that the destruction would not only target the people but also their places of habitation and resources, implying a complete eradication to prevent future threats or pagan influence.

Words-group Analysis

• "And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord": This phrase highlights a communal, intentional, and spiritually binding act. It underscores Israel's reliance on God in dire circumstances and their formal dedication of a promise to Him. The repetition of the root word emphasizes the solemnity and the self-imposed obligation.
• "If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities": This is the core conditional proposition. It reveals the Israelites' request for divine military intervention and their subsequent pledge to perform the extreme act of herem. This formulation positions their action as a response to God's anticipated favor, demonstrating a mix of desperation, faith, and a perhaps strategic understanding of divine will concerning Canaanite inhabitants. Unlike other instances where God commands herem upfront, here Israel initiates the herem commitment themselves as part of a conditional covenant, which God subsequently affirms through victory.

Numbers 21 2 Bonus section

• Divine Consent and Human Vows: This verse is intriguing because it presents a human-initiated vow that includes herem, a concept usually divinely commanded. God's subsequent delivery of the enemy into Israel's hands (Num 21:3) indicates His acceptance and ratification of their vow. This does not imply that God is bound by any human vow, but rather that this particular vow aligned with His sovereign will for the conquest of Canaan and the purging of its inhabitants. It highlights a unique alignment of human resolve and divine purpose.
• Foreshadowing of Hormah: The area that later became known as Hormah ("destruction") had already seen conflict earlier in Numbers (Num 14:45). This event in Numbers 21:2-3 served to permanently affix this name to the location, tying its identity to an act of divine judgment and Israelite devotion, making it a place of solemn remembrance.
• Ethical Considerations of Herem: While herem involves what seems like extreme violence, its biblical context emphasizes specific, non-replicable divine judgment against utterly corrupt cultures, limited to the Canaanite conquest. It served a theological purpose: to prevent Israel from adopting the grievous sins (idolatry, child sacrifice, sexual immorality) of these nations. It underscores God's absolute holiness and justice, providing a stark boundary between His covenant people and pervasive wickedness, rather than serving as a universal model for all warfare.

Numbers 21 2 Commentary

Numbers 21:2 captures a pivotal moment of Israel's journey through the wilderness: a collective vow made out of desperation and trust. Faced with an unprovoked attack by the King of Arad, the nation turns to Yahweh, binding themselves by an extreme oath. This vow is notable because Israel itself initiates the commitment to herem—the utter destruction of their enemies and their cities—as a reciprocal act to divine deliverance. This was not a general conquest command from God initially, but a specific promise by the people in their moment of need. The act of herem symbolized absolute devotion to God, a theological purification and a deterrent against assimilation of pagan practices. When God honored their vow by granting victory (Num 21:3), Israel followed through on their promise, destroying the cities and consecrating the area as Hormah, thus demonstrating that promises made to God are binding and expected to be fulfilled, especially when linked to God's greater redemptive purposes. For the believer, this passage speaks to the seriousness of vows, God's faithfulness to His people even in their desperation, and the principle of 'setting apart' for God what opposes His holiness, spiritually interpreted as battling against spiritual forces and purifying oneself from worldly contamination.