Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,
Numbers 21 records Israel's victory over the king of Arad, death by fiery serpents with healing by faith, stages in the journey, and victories over Sihon the Amorite king and Og the king of Bashan. Numbers 21:14 stands within that chapter as part of the narrative of Israel's journey around Edom and the enemies they met along the way. It is poetic, one of the fragments of poetry in Numbers 21.
That poetic form shows that Hebrew sacred literature included poetry about victories. The verse cites the book of the wars of the Lord as a sacred history recording what God did at the Red Sea and in the brooks of Arnon. That book began with Israel's victory over the Egyptians at the Red Sea and probably recorded Israel's battles throughout the wilderness years until the people crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land.
It contained martial poems commemorating victories gained by Israel on the march to the Promised Land and while conquering Canaan. It is one of several books mentioned in Scripture that are now lost, and such books had only human authority.
Numbers 21 records Israel's victory over the king of Arad, death by fiery serpents with healing by faith, stages in the journey, and victories over Sihon the Amorite king and Og the king of Bashan. Numbers 21:14 stands within that chapter as part of the narrative of Israel's journey around Edom and the enemies they met along the way. It is poetic, one of the fragments of poetry in Numbers 21.
That poetic form shows that Hebrew sacred literature included poetry about victories. The verse cites the book of the wars of the Lord as a sacred history recording what God did at the Red Sea and in the brooks of Arnon. That book began with Israel's victory over the Egyptians at the Red Sea and probably recorded Israel's battles throughout the wilderness years until the people crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land.
It contained martial poems commemorating victories gained by Israel on the march to the Promised Land and while conquering Canaan. It is one of several books mentioned in Scripture that are now lost, and such books had only human authority.