Wesley Corpus

Chapter XXI The defect of Arad, ver. 1 - 3. The people murmur and are plagued with fiery serpents, ver. 4 - 6. They are healed by looking on the brazen serpent, ver. 7 - 9. They journey forward, ver. 10 - 20. Conquer Sihon, ver. 21 - 31. And Og, ver. 33 - 35. King Arad - Or rather, the Canaanite King of Arad: for Arad is not the name of a man, but of a city or territory. And he seems to be called a Canaanite in a general sense, as the Amorites and others. The south - Of Canaan, towards the east, and near the dead sea. Of the spies - Not of those spies which Moses sent to spy the land, for that was done thirty eight years before this, and they went so privately, that the Canaanites took no notice of them, nor knew which way they came or went; but of the spies which he himself sent out to observe the marches and motions of the Israelites. Took some of them prisoners - Which God permitted for Israel's humiliation, and to teach them not to expect the conquest of that land from their own wisdom or valour. I will utterly destroy them - I will reserve no person or thing for my own use, but devote them all to total destruction. They utterly destroyed them - Neither Moses nor the whole body of the people did this but a select number sent out to punish that king and people, who were so fierce and malicious that they came out of their own country to fight with the Israelites in the wilderness; and these, when they had done this work, returned to their brethren into the wilderness. But why did they not all now go into Canaan, and pursue this victory Because God would not permit it, there being several works yet to be done, other people must be conquered, the Israelites must be farther humbled and tried and purged, Moses must die, and then they shall enter, and that in a more glorious manner, even over Jordan, which shall be miraculously dried up, to give them passage. Hormah - That is, utter destruction. By way of the Red - sea - Which leadeth to the Red - sea, as they must needs do to compass the land of Edom.