For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.

NUMBERS 21:28KJV
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Numbers 21:28 (KJV)

What does Numbers 21:28 mean?

Numbers 21:28 describes a destructive force coming from Heshbon, the city ruled by Sihon, that has burned and overtaken Ar, a city of Moab, and reached as far as the high places near the Arnon river. The verse uses the imagery of fire and flame to show how Sihon's power overwhelmed Moabite territory.

This verse is part of a poetic taunt or proverb spoken after Israel defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites. The words recall how Sihon had earlier conquered Moabite lands, with Heshbon as his base. The "fire" from Heshbon is a metaphor for Sihon's military strength, which destroyed Moabite cities and their leaders, especially those near the Arnon river.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 21:28

  • "fire" (אֵשׁ, 'esh, H784): This word often symbolizes destructive power or judgment. Here, it paints Sihon's conquest as something fierce and consuming.
  • "flame" (לֶהָבָה, lehabah, H3852): This word adds to the image of spreading destruction, emphasizing how the attack did not stop at one place but spread further.
  • "consumed" (אָכַל, akhal, H398): This verb literally means "to eat" or "devour," highlighting the totality of the destruction brought on Ar of Moab.
  • "lords of the high places" (בַּעֲלֵי בָמוֹת, ba‘alei bamot, H1181): This phrase refers to the leaders or rulers associated with the religious or strategic sites on the heights by the Arnon river, showing that even prominent figures were not spared.

Why Numbers 21:28 matters

  • Numbers 21:28 helps the reader understand the historical background of the region, showing that Sihon had already defeated Moab before Israel's arrival, which explains why Israel could take over these lands.
  • The verse uses vivid imagery to emphasize the completeness of Sihon's conquest, making clear that the defeat was not just military but also affected the religious and political centers of Moab.
  • This poetic summary connects to the larger story in Numbers 21, where Israel's victory over Sihon is seen as part of a chain of conquests, setting the stage for Israel's later possession of these territories.

Where else these words appear

“Ar” Hebrew H6144 · used in 6 verses

  • Numbers 21:15 And at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar, and lieth upon the border of Moab.
  • Deuteronomy 2:9 And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.
  • Deuteronomy 2:29 (As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto me;) until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.

“flame” Hebrew H3852 · used in 19 verses

  • 1 Samuel 17:7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
  • Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
  • Ezekiel 20:47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

“Arnon” Hebrew H769 · used in 23 verses

  • Numbers 21:13 From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
  • Deuteronomy 3:8 And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side Jordan, from the river of Arnon unto mount Hermon;
  • Joshua 13:16 And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;

“city” Hebrew H7151 · used in 31 verses

  • Deuteronomy 2:36 From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:
  • Proverbs 18:11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.
  • Isaiah 29:1 Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.