What Does Numbers 21:1 Mean?

“heard”

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

“the Canaanite”

a kenaanite or inhabitant of kenaan; by implication, a pedlar (the canaanites standing for their neighbors the ishmaelites, who conducted mercantile c

“And when king”

a king

“Arad”

arad, the name of a canaanite and an israelite

“which dwelt”

properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry

“in the south”

the south (from its drought); specifically, the negeb or southern district of judah, occasionally, egypt (as south to palestine)

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

“came”

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

“against Israel”

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

“by the way”

a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb

“of the spies”

atharim, a place near palestine

“then he fought”

to feed on; figuratively, to consume

“against Israel”

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

“and took”

to transport into captivity

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

“some of them prisoners”

exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty