Numbers 21:1
New International Version
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.

New Living Translation
The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners.

English Standard Version
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Berean Standard Bible
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.

King James Bible
And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.

New King James Version
The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.

New American Standard Bible
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

NASB 1995
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

NASB 1977
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, and he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

Amplified Bible
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev (the South country) heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim [the route traveled by the spies sent out by Moses], he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

Christian Standard Bible
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and captured some prisoners.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and captured some prisoners.

American Standard Version
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Canaanite King of Gadar who dwelt in the south heard that Israel came on the road of the spies and fought with Israel and he brought some of them captive into captivity.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Arad the Chananitish king who dwelt by the wilderness, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharin; and he made war on Israel, and carried off some of them captives.

Contemporary English Version
The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when king Arad the Chanaanite, who dwelt towards the south, had heard this, to wit, that Israel was come by the way of the spies, he fought against them, and overcoming them carried off their spoils.

English Revised Version
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, which dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were coming on the road to Atharim, he fought them and took some of them as prisoners.

Good News Translation
When the Canaanite king of Arad in the southern part of Canaan heard that the Israelites were coming by way of Atharim, he attacked them and captured some of them.

International Standard Version
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the Atharim caravan route, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Literal Standard Version
And the Canaanite, king of Arad, dwelling in the south, hears that Israel has come the way of the Atharim, and he fights against Israel, and takes [some] of them captive.

Majority Standard Bible
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.

New American Bible
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who ruled over the Negeb, heard that the Israelites were coming along the way of Atharim, he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive.

NET Bible
When the Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negev heard that Israel was approaching along the road to Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoner.

New Revised Standard Version
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.

New Heart English Bible
When the Canaanite king of Arad who lived in the Negev heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when king Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.

World English Bible
The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.

Young's Literal Translation
And the Canaanite -- king Arad -- dwelling in the south, heareth that Israel hath come the way of the Atharim, and he fighteth against Israel, and taketh some of them captive.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Defeat of Arad
1When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners. 2So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”…

Cross References
Genesis 12:9
And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.

Numbers 33:40
Now the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

Joshua 12:14
the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

Judges 1:16
Now the descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.


Treasury of Scripture

And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelled in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.

Arad

Numbers 33:40
And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.

Joshua 12:14
The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

Judges 1:16
And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

the way of the spies.

Numbers 13:21,22
So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath…

Numbers 14:45
Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

then

Deuteronomy 2:32
Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

Joshua 7:5
And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

Joshua 11:19,20
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle…

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Arad Attacked Captive Captured Dwelling Dwelt Ears Heard Heareth Israel Israelites Negeb Negev Prisoners Road South Spies Way
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Arad Attacked Captive Captured Dwelling Dwelt Ears Heard Heareth Israel Israelites Negeb Negev Prisoners Road South Spies Way
Numbers 21
1. Israel destroys the Canaanites at Hormah
4. The people murmuring are plagued with fiery serpents
7. They repenting are healed by a bronze serpent
10. Various journeys of the Israelites
21. Sihon is overcome
33. And Og














XXI.

(1) And when king Arad . . . --The verse may be rendered thus: Now the Canaanite, the King of Arad, which dwelt in the south country (or, Negeb) heard (or, had heard) that Israel had come by the way of Atharim (or, of the spies), and he fought . . . The date of this occurrence is uncertain. The district of Arad appears to have extended to the southern frontier of Canaan. (Comp. Numbers 33:40; Joshua 12:14; Judges 1:16-17.) The attack probably took place either in the interval between the departure of the messengers to Edom and their return, or at the time at which the Israelites broke up from Kadesh, and before the direction of their march had been ascertained. The word Atharim, which is rendered in the Authorised Version spies, may be another form of the word which occurs in Numbers 14:6, and which is there rendered them that searched; or, as appears more probable, it may be the name of a place which does not occur elsewhere.

Verse 1. - And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell. Rather, "And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, which dwelt in the Negeb, heard tell." It is possible that Arad was the name of the king (it occurs as the name of a man, 1 Chronicles 8:15), but it was almost certainly the name of his place. The "king of Arad, is mentioned in Joshua 12:14, and "the Negeb of Arad" in Judges 1:16. From the context of these passages it is evident that it was situated in the southernmost district of what was afterwards the territory of Judah. According to Eusebius, it stood twenty Roman miles to the south of Hebron, and its site has been found by modern travelers at Tel-Arad, a low hill in this direction. On the Negeb see note on Numbers 13:17. By the way of the spies. דֶּרֶך הָאַתָרִים. Septuagint, ὀδὸν Αθαρείν. The translation is very uncertain; atharim may be a proper name, as the Septuagint seems to suppose, or it may be an unusual plural formed from תוּר, equivalent to הַתָּרִים, "spies," as the Chaldee, Samaritan, and most of the versions take it; or it may be simply the plural from אַתַר, a place, used with some local meaning which made it practically a proper name. If the rendering of the A.V. be correct, "the way of the spies" must have been the route by which they ascended to Hebron through the Negeb (Numbers 13:17, 22), and the king of Arid must have anticipated an invasion in that direction, and sought to forestall it. And took some of them prisoners. This would seem to show that he fell upon them unawares, and cut off some detached parties. Nothing is said of any disobedience on the part of Israel to account for defeat in battle.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When the Canaanite
הַכְּנַעֲנִ֤י (hak·kə·na·‘ă·nî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3669: Canaanite -- inhabitant of Canaan

king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Arad,
עֲרָד֙ (‘ă·rāḏ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6166: Arad -- a Canaanite city in the Negev

who lived
יֹשֵׁ֣ב (yō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in the Negev,
הַנֶּ֔גֶב (han·ne·ḡeḇ)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5045: South country, the Negeb, south

heard
וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע (way·yiš·ma‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

that
כִּ֚י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

was coming
בָּ֣א (bā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

along the road
דֶּ֖רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

to Atharim,
הָאֲתָרִ֑ים (hā·’ă·ṯā·rîm)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 871: Atharim -- a caravan route in the Negev

he attacked
וַיִּלָּ֙חֶם֙ (way·yil·lā·ḥem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

Israel
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (bə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

and captured
וַיִּ֥שְׁבְּ ׀ (way·yišb)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7617: To transport into captivity

some
מִמֶּ֖נּוּ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

prisoners.
שֶֽׁבִי׃ (še·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7628: Exiled, captured, exile, booty


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OT Law: Numbers 21:1 The Canaanite the king of Arad who (Nu Num.)
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